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Anyone who has taken even a brief glance at the technology trade publications in the last six months has most certainly come across the term ?desktop search'. The topic has received ample coverage, courtesy of the more than half-dozen companies that have announced either new or enhanced desktop search products.
For the first time, countless individuals are experiencing the basic end-user benefits of desktop search. But despite all the attention the newest breed of desktop search is receiving in the press, here's what the media hasn't told you:
- Desktop search is NOT new. Although a small market, a handful of software vendors has been providing businesses worldwide with commercial desktop search software for more than a decade.
- Today's newcomers aren't ready for the enterprise. It's true that these tools are prompting consumers to look at search in a whole new light, and some of them are reasonably capable in helping users locate locally stored data. But without broad file format support, multi-lingual search capabilities, advanced functionality, network support and proper security measures, these tools don't meet the needs of the enterprise.
- You get what you pay for. Most people accept that free software equals limited software. Desktop search is no different in that today's new free tools barely scratch the surface of what's possible. Businesses and government organizations that require a higher level of search sophistication recognize that free products don't address the full scope of their search needs and are therefore insufficient.
This document provides an overview of the primary differences between consumer and enterprise desktop search, and the pitfalls to avoid. By outlining the three key reasons for implementing desktop search for your organization, this paper also examines the business benefits that desktop search lends to employees, workgroups and your entire enterprise. It also covers the areas that you should consider when evaluating potential desktop search solutions. You can use the 12-step checklist at the end of this white paper to define your own requirements for evaluating vendors.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CONSUMER AND ENTERPRISE DESKTOP SEARCH
You've read it in the news ? desktop search has become all the rage, and one of the more popular tools proffered by today's software and Internet giants. But take a closer look at these beta products, and it becomes clear that the software is just that ? beta.
To be certain, consumers can derive benefit from just about any of these tools, despite the relative immaturity of the products. In reviews conducted by various members of the media, some products are rated higher than others, primarily due to offering broader file format support and a greater level of sophistication. But whether you're reviewing technology from Google, Microsoft or another new vendor, industry analysts have gone on record to caution organizations against adopting these technologies within the enterprise.
Interestingly, desktop search is nothing new. In fact, thanks to a handful of software vendors, people have had the ability to search their local and network drives longer than the World Wide Web has been around. Some have even been supplying desktop search software since DOS was the de facto operating system, which means these tools have been developed with the enterprise in mind since day one.
But what does that mean to Windows professionals looking to enhance their organization's capabilities via search software? Specifically, what are the key differences between consumer and enterprise desktop search? To summarize, the primary differences are as follows:
- File Format Support. The overwhelming majority of consumer desktop search tools support only a few file formats, such as Microsoft Word, HTML and some email. By contrast, enterprise desktop search solutions support more than 100 file formats, including all Microsoft Office applications, PDF, a variety of email clients, attachments, XML, legacy formats like WordPerfect, and a host of databases.
- Security. Any application being considered for the enterprise must offer sufficient security measures to ensure the integrity of an organization's intellectual capital is solid. When it comes to sensitive data, today's new consumer desktop search tools don't do enough to protect companies from individuals who would exploit security holes.
- Breadth of functionality. Enterprise desktop search tools offer Windows professionals and their end-users mature technology and a wide array of features designed to meet the sophisticated search needs of businesses and government organizations.
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