O’Reilly Answers helps bridge the gap between learning and knowledge

The concept of training and learning has completely transformed in the last 6 months, with the pandemic acting as a catalyst for a long-overdue learning revolution.

However, with so much information available online, and search tools often struggling to filter the most relevant materials, individuals are wasting their time looking for the resources and answers they need to apply to their work, which is having a direct impact on productivity.

With this in mind, O’Reilly, the online learning specialist, has announced O’Reilly Answers, a new tool which uses machine learning to deliver quick, contextually relevant answers to challenging technical questions. 

Recent user engagement research found that users were using the ‘search’ function to find the answer to a specific question, skim reading pages until they find what they need, and then returning to the task at hand – ultimately losing valuable hours of productivity. The Answers feature will make searching quicker, so users can spend less time scrolling through pages of information, and more time getting the job done. 

O’Reilly, the premier source for insight-driven learning on technology and business, today announced the launch of O’Reilly Answers, an advanced natural language processing (NLP) engine that delivers quick, contextually relevant answers to challenging technical questions posed by users through O’Reilly online learning. With a one-click integration into Slack, O’Reilly Answers helps users learn from and discover the content that moves business forward. 

Leveraging advanced machine learning techniques, the O’Reilly Answers search engine provides relevant highlights and snippets from O’Reilly’s library of expert content across thousands of O’Reilly’s titles, pointing users directly to only the most applicable resources and eliminating noise. To encourage deeper discovery, the feature allows users to drill down into full content pieces from referenced titles. To further improve productivity, all functions of O’Reilly Answers are available through a simple Slack Integration. 

“Over half of all O’Reilly usage is non-linear learning – finding fast solutions that can quickly be applied to work. Taking time to dig up resources can mean the difference between moving to the next step or stalling on a project,” said Laura Baldwin, President, O’Reilly Media.

“As we fall into step with the new pace of organisational change, O’Reilly Answers helps bridge the gap between learning and knowledge, eliminating the need for lengthy training sessions and helping users get back to work with the tools they need to get the job done.”

According to Dynamic Signal’s State of Employee Communication and Engagement study, 85% of employees lose at least one to two hours of productivity a week searching for information. For O’Reilly users, O’Reilly Answers creates a critical way to answer technical questions quickly and efficiently in order to solve a problem. The feature also creates opportunities for deeper exploration into the most challenging technologies, including AI, quantum computing, robotics, virtual reality and more.