New versions of mature products add more features and sometimes improve performance. Basis does both, but also folds in much work done for its government clients over the last several years. For example, the new version lets customers mine unstructured text for names, places, and dates in Arabic and Chinese (plus the usual European cluster of languages).

While most Arab-language activity in the general media centers around government, intelligence, and petro-based events, there will come a day when companies in Asia, Europe, and the Americas look at the Middle East for new business opportunities beyond gasoline and spookdom. Basis Technology is preparing a technology foundation for companies reaching for those deals. Its challenge will be to increase the persuasiveness of its stealth marketing efforts and broaden the scope of its government-centric sales effort to reach these businesses.