Silver Spring, MD, USA -- The second edition of the CMS Watch Enterprise Search Report finds no "one size fits all" solution. The typical enterprise "inherits" a new search facility with each new major information systems implementation.

The report was released today by CMS Watch <http://www.realstorygroup.com>, a buy-side technology analyst firm that evaluates Enterprise Content Management strategies and tools for prospective solutions buyers.

“Organizations find that specific groups of users need search solutions that meet their specific needs,” says Stephen E. Arnold, principal author of the 500-page report. "Enterprises are realizing they have to implement separate information management solutions with increasingly powerful embedded search systems, creating a situation where an organization may have several search solutions in operation,” Arnold adds.

Meanwhile, the search marketplace is becoming increasingly crowded. Buyers frequently have access to search offerings from infrastructure players IBM, Oracle, SAP, and Microsoft. Also, enterprise content management vendors such as Hummingbird and Open Text package powerful search systems with their core applications. Established search brands such as market leader Verity, FAST Search & Transfer, Convera, and Autonomy find themselves competing with capable specialized providers of search solutions from the likes of Google, Endeca, Coveo, and Mondosoft.

Other key findings of the report include:

• Enterprise software vendor SAP has built its own search tool, "TREX," and is steadily enhancing its capabilities for indexing non-SAP content.
• Microsoft's postponement of its next-generation search tools until late 2006 has widened market opportunities for mid- and upper-tier players like Coveo, Mondosoft, and Endeca.
• Website search is re-emerging as a distinct product category with the brisk rise of the Google appliance as well as several high-end alternatives.

Based on product tests and interviews with more than 60 professionals engaged in enterprise search, the report features analysis and surveys of 29 search vendors. It is designed to help enterprises make informed search technology strategies and buying decisions. Unlike generalized reports on search, the CMS Watch study provides details on the strengths and weaknesses of each search system.

The report is available for purchase online from CMS Watch, in two editions: Enterprise Search and Website Search, the latter for companies looking to purchase a website-specific solution.

Stephen Arnold -- founder of Arnold IT and a three-decade search and retrieval veteran -- served as the principal author.

According to Arnold, “Enterprise search is undergoing rapid change. On one hand, infrastructure providers such as Microsoft and Oracle know that search is emerging as a killer application. These companies have to stake out their claim or risk losing revenue. On the other hand, the complexity of enterprise search is creating an opening for developers who bundle search with enhanced indexing and classification and other needed features. Virtually all vendors are struggling to counter Google’s solution, which is low cost, powerful, and easy to operate.”

WHAT'S IN THE REPORT

The bulk of the report entails 10- to 20-page comparative evaluations of 29 enterprise search offerings. The 500 page report also address several other essential issues for an enterprise investigating search solutions, including:

• Practical product selection roadmaps for large and small enterprises;
• Sample ROI analyses including a detailed examination of total costs of ownership and sample search project budgets;
• Answers to the 50 most commonly-asked enterprise search questions;
• Comprehensive review of major players' approaches, including Microsoft, SAP, Oracle, Google, Verity, Autonomy, Convera, FAST Search & Transfer, and 21 others.

Like other CMS Watch offerings, the Enterprise Search Report identifies their suitability for different use cases, and isolates vendor tendencies that may influence longterm product roadmaps.