Over the last dozen years I’ve tested just about every search technology that exists. From back in the so-called “search wars”, to new forms of AI and semantic intelligence, the ultimate goal of any search device is relevance for the user. Today I tested a little hospitality search engine called Pineapple Search. Here’s the short take on a new arrival on the travel and hospitality information scene.
The landing of Pineapplesearch.com
Created by Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), and powered by hsyndicate’s massive inventors of news and other content, Pineapple is a highly specialized search tool focused on a hospitality industry information data base. Pineapple Search is a B2B tool that essentially centralizes the vast news and information hsyndicate libraries contain. The data, or info, ranges from industry announcements to new products and people, and very far beyond. Users can filter queries and results in any of hundreds of ways, get notifications, and ultimately find anything on any of hsyndicate’s media fast. I like the engine’s filtering capabilities a lot, I’ll definitely use it, if only for this reason. “Easy,” this is the Holy Grail in a media world of overload, and the hsyndicate people addressed this at every turn in making Pineapple. Another thing I like about PSearch is the inclusion of Tnooz stories if one features “Travel Technology” on his or her landing page. The capability of venturing outside walled gardens is a necessity too.
Signup is drop dead easy as you can see
As anybody knows by now, Google pioneered search via a minimalist design and interface approach. The search giant also ended up winning those search wars because of this, and because of ultimate relevance for users. While Google has become more complex and cluttered in later years, relevance and usability are still key value. Pineapplesearch.com reminds me of that early Google usability, only in a far more tightly focused way. Filtering for individual users, preferences, this is what tools to find things should be about. Pineapple does a nice job here.
Pineapplesearch.com offers a very nice filtering aspect
While Pineapple is not a tool for everyone, the concept of “walled” storehouses of highly relevant data and information is a sound one. One way of looking at the value is to focus on how Big Data and analytics are changing the hotel industry. Clearly, tightly compartmentalized libraries need ultra effective search-ability in order for the most advanced tools to filter data. While search engines are a topical treatment of the whole guest or user data conundrum, the user data gleaned underneath is the heart of the business intelligence trend forward. Short version, hsyndicate will end up as a vital resource for predictive hotel business upcoming. That is, if Pineapple Search gleans a wide following, and I believe it will.
Pineapplesearch.com is about as slick and easy as any search engine we’ve seen.
The screen shot above shows one fascinating way journalists or other media types can make use of the engine. Trying out the various features of Pineapple Search, the image aspect will grab the attention of spatially oriented users, especially writers. The only thing missing here is a way to filter free use and image copyright info. Below is the image selection with right click saving and other options. I use “Search Google for this image” in order to ascertain fair use data. Pineapple Search could easily integrate or scrape via API this info too (hint).
Writers and even marketing types frequently search images – here I’ve right clicked to save
Pineapplesearch.com serves the global hospitality industry as a search platform for hospitality-specific B2B information and intelligence. Pineapplesearch.com centralizes highly fragmented industry information into a single and free-to-use platform which delivers relevant information to industry professionals, when and how they need it. Visit www.pineapplesearch.com. The search engine is differentiated in a number of ways including; its industry focused data, the quality and nature of the curated content, as an open platform for submissions, and for the user-centric points I have already made.
The takeaway here is, PSearch is not built for everyone. The search engine is highly however, very effective for the B2B crowd that the developers targeted. Industry professionals can recommend their businesses, single content links, and even RSS feeds to PSearch. All in all I would give a score of 8 out of 10 to Pineapple Search for usability and design. The only negatives I see fall into the future tools and development realm, as a ready-to-use tool, the engine works fine. For more information readers can visit HFPT here, but I recommend playing with the engine. You’ll quickly discover the relative value for your needs.