HP Cooperative Computing Solutions
for Knowledge Workers

	Verity TOPIC Text
	Management 
	Solution



Introduction

The Verity TOPIC* text 
management system, from 
Verity* Inc., provides for 
easy storage and retrieval of 
textual documents based on 
document content.  This 
approach to text storage and 
retrieval is the fastest and 
most knowledge-based  
available today.  By using 
internal attributes (topics and 
categories), users can easily 
retrieve documents 
intuitively.  For example, a 
user wanting to know about 
the financial status of the 
American motorcycle 
industry might specify a 
keyword search on 
"American," "motorcycle," 
and "financials."  TOPIC 
would retrieve an article 
mentioning higher profits for 
Harley-Davidson even 
though none of the original 
keywords appeared in the 
article.



 

Figure 1





Text management systems, 
also referred to as full-text 
retrieval systems or content-
based retrieval systems, 
automatically index the 
words and phrases in textual 
documents.  This allows for 
easy keyword retrieval of the 
documents.  Furthermore, by 
searching for global 
document content, users can 
quickly access textual 
information from sources 
enterprise-wide.

TOPIC REAL-TIME* 
additionally provides the 
capability to filter large 
volumes of incoming textual 
information and to distribute 
the relevant information to 
the people who need to view 
it.

Benefits

Decision makers often have 
difficulty finding the right 
information, and they lose 
valuable time sorting 
through irrelevant or low 
priority information.  These 
problems are precisely what 
Verity TOPIC solves, 
through:
  Fast access to the right 
information 
  Multiple client support
  Preservation of 
organizational knowledge
  Dynamic filtering of large 
volumes of news wire and 
data feeds with automatic 
distribution of relevant 
information to people who 
need to view or act on it
  Improved operational 
efficiency
  Flexibility to develop 
customized text request 
capabilities.

Overall, TOPIC and TOPIC 
REAL-TIME greatly 
increase the productivity of 
knowledge workers and 
reduce information overload.

Features

Storage and retrieval based 
on concept match rather 
than exact text match.  
Following a query, TOPIC 
can return a list of 
documents starting with the 
document most likely to 
satisfy the query.  
Knowledge workers are 
more productive if they 
receive ranked information 
rather than the usual list of 
unsorted documents.  TOPIC 
can provide a relevance-
ranked list of retrieved 
documents.  Of course, 
documents can be retrieved 
on an exact textual match as 
well as a conceptual match.  
In addition, TOPIC provides 
support for HyperLink* 
connections to images, 
annotations, and cross-
referenced documents. 



 

Figure 2





Open architecture supports 
MS Windows PCs, HP 
NewWave PCs, 
Macintoshes, and UNIX-
based workstations.
Open architecture also 
provides support for multiple 
servers for load balancing 
and system availability.  
Support for multiple network 
operating systems include
   -  Netware
   -  LAN Manager
   -  Integrated Macintosh 
	Networking Services 
	(PacerShare)
   -  NFS.
API's for application 
development are optional.

More robust document 
retrieval through 
sophisticated topic trees.
TOPIC allows organizations 
to build a knowledge base of 
related subjects that stay 
with the organization even 
when key employees move 
to other positions.  It 
retrieves data based on how 
they are defined within the 
organization or the industry.

TOPIC REAL-TIME, 
offers a facility that 
analyzes and routes pre-
selected real-time 
information to knowledge 
workers.
Based on personal interest 
filters, TOPIC REAL-TIME 
scans documents as they 
arrive from live sources.  
When integrated with 
external data sources, such 
as DowVision from Dow 
Jones Information Service, 
TOPIC REAL-TIME 
provides the means for 
executives, financial 
analysts, and others to 
receive up-to-the-minute, 
finely-filtered information on 
such topics as financial 
news, commodity prices, 
industry press releases, 
international events, and 
more.  Depending on the 
priority of the information, 
information items may be 
sent to users on an interrupt 
basis or left in a mailbox for 
later review.  TOPIC REAL-
TIME reduces information 
overload for knowledge 
workers, providing real-time 
filtering and dissemination 
of external data sources, 
including news wires, 
financial feeds and electronic 
mail.

Availability

Verity TOPIC will be 
available in September 1992.  
Verity TOPIC REAL-TIME, 
including all capabilities for 
real-time data filtering and 
dissemination, will be 
available in January 1993.

Summary

Verity TOPIC is a robust, 
concept-based text storage 
and retrieval system.  

Verity TOPIC provides for 
rapid, easy storage and 
retrieval of textual 
documents based on their 
content.  It is an intelligent 
system, basing retrieval of 
documents on their meaning 
rather than on exact keyword 
match.  Retrieved lists of 
documents can be listed in 
relevance order, starting with 
the document most likely to 
satisfy the user's request.  

Verity TOPIC REAL-TIME 
additionally provides the 
capability to filter large 
volumes of incoming textual 
information, and to 
immediately and 
automatically distribute the 
relevant information to the 
people who need to view it.

Together with the other HP 
KnowledgeWorker 
Solutions, Verity TOPIC 
offers a tremendous 
opportunity to organizations 
to achieve strategic 
competitive advantage. 














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