Search for US properties with SOLR and Maptimize

Our clients 5k50 have recently opened a preview of their real-estate search system which is based on Apache SOLR and Maptimize. Maptimize is a very nice tool which which manages the display of data on Google Maps by merging markers which are geographically close together.

We initially audited the existing SOLR setup then redesigned it to add more functionalities and optimise the search speed.  The search itself is an interesting mix of map-driven filtering with SOLR queries and faceting. Any changes to the map (click on a cluster, zoom in/out) are reflected in the search results and facets and vice-versa.

Navia is a nice showcase for some of the most commonly used features of SOLR (i.e. faceting, more-like-this, autocompletion) and has a great identity thanks to its mix of geo and text search.  It is currently in beta mode so we can expect a few more improvements over the next few weeks.

And please feel free to give it a try so that we can get plenty of data on the performance :-)

DigitalPebble is hiring!

We are looking for a candidate with the following skills and expertise :

• strong background in NLP and Java
• GATE, experience of writing plugins and PRs, excellent knowledge of JAPE
• IE, Linked Data, Ontologies
• statistical approaches and machine learning
• large scale computing with Hadoop
• knowledge of the following technologies / tools : Lucene, SOLR, NoSQL, Tika, UIMA, Mahout
• good social and presentation skills
• good spoken and written English, knowledge of other languages would be a plus
• taste for challenges and problem solving

    DigitalPebble is located in Bristol (UK) and specialises in open source solutions for text engineering.

    More details on our activities can be found on our website. We would consider candidates working remotely with occasional travel to Bristol and our clients in UK and Europe. Being located in or near Bristol would be a plus.

    This job is an opportunity to get involved in the growth of a small company, work on interesting projects and take part in various Apache related projects and events. Bristol is also a great place to live.


   Please send your CV and cover letter before the 15th April 2011 to job@digitalpebble.com


    Best regards,

    Julien Nioche