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FROM: SEP-OCT 2007 ISSUE | BY RANDY ABELE
Every minute an employee spends looking for information equates to lost productivity. Studies have shown that the average knowledge worker spends about a quarter of each day looking for information. In spite of all this searching, required information often goes unfound, which leads to duplication of work effort.
Increasingly complex work environments and exponential data growth have made it harder to locate information internally. Common problems include:
- An overabundance of places to search
- The frustration of spending more time searching than finding
- Being unaware of all sources of information
- Not knowing when information is updated
- Inability to connect with company experts
Enterprise search solutions aim to solve these problems by providing a means of sifting through company data stores similar to the way a search engine combs the ‘Net.
How it Works
While it does not have as much data to contend with as a typical Web search, an enterprise search solution must be able to sift through various types of corporate data and storage locations.
Common locations that need to be searched include the corporate intranet, e-mail and messaging systems, file shares, databases, and local hard drives. The results coming from different sources are then ranked according to the search criteria.
Approximately 80 per cent of an organization’s knowledge lies with its employees, and is generally undocumented and difficult to access by other means than personal communication. Enterprise search aims to organize and record subject matter expertise so that searches return not only electronic resources but also references to people that may have key knowledge and experience that can aid the searcher.
Once the information has been organized and catalogued, the application applies corporate security policies to ensure the protection of intellectual property and sensitive internal information. Search results will vary greatly based on the security profile of the user performing the search. For example, information containing staff salaries would be crucial to an HR manager but highly inappropriate for access by a contractor.
Some Solutions
Despite its name, enterprise search is not limited to large businesses; it is also applicable to small and mid-sized companies. The enterprise search market can be divided into several different product categories, characterized by their varying levels of breadth, flexibility, and administrative overhead.
The market for robust higher-cost enterprise applications is led by vendors such as Autonomy, Convera, FAST Search & Transfer, and Verity. Many vendors in the enterprise search arena attempt to differentiate their solutions by offering a wide range of features that promise to make the search experience better, faster, and more intuitive. For example, Autonomy’s IDOL Server product offers remote administration, voice and video support, robust collaboration and expertise networks, and a multitude of advanced content categorization, ranking, and profiling functions. However, a drawback to layering on functionality is added cost and risk of performance degradation.
Google, on the other hand, provides a simplified plug-and-play search appliance called the Google Mini, which is targeted at small and medium-sized businesses, as well as the Google Search Appliance, aimed at large businesses. These tools are all-in-one solutions which tout their quick setup time, high value, and simple operation. The focus is not only on a positive search experience but also a low administrative overhead. These appliances can be had at a fraction of the cost of more robust solutions, and appeal to businesses that want to make a smaller upfront investment or do not require a more robust implementation.
A relatively new player in the market, Microsoft has taken a platform approach by building enterprise search functionality into Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007. The popular SharePoint collaboration platform has been augmented with search capabilities, which adds value for customers who were already licensing SharePoint for collaboration. A stripped down, more affordable version entitled Office SharePoint Server 2007 for Search is also available for situations where only the search functionality is desired. Microsoft’s platform allows third-party software designers to customize and enhance the search experience to accommodate their customers’ requirements.
Enterprise search is a growing market that carries great promise for any business looking to enhance the efficiency of its workforce. It provides both time savings and improved workforce knowledge, which translates to an attractive and significant return on investment. Ultimately, enterprise search is your company’s ticket to leveraging hard-learned lessons, legacy information, and key experts to enhance corporate efficiency.
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