Search connects people to information. While Internet search connects people to the information scattered across the world-wide web, enterprise search connects people to the information maintained by a company. Enterprise search from Microsoft turns information into business outcomes through engaging search experiences. Our search solutions change the way people interact with information, helping them process vast amounts of data so they can get things done.
 
Q. What exactly is enterprise search?
A. Search connects people to information. While Internet search connects people to the information scattered across the world-wide web, enterprise search connects people to the information maintained by a company.
Q. What are the business benefits of enterprise search?
A. Customers can increase revenue and cut costs with search-driven applications that streamline specific tasks. People want to get things done, and search can help. Enterprise search solutions help customers get what they want and employees get their jobs done. By connecting people to the information they need to perform specific tasks, search-driven applications can create new revenue streams and increase productivity.
Q. What is Microsoft’s enterprise search strategy?
A.
  • For customers who want to increase revenue, we’re investing in search solutions for Internet business applications.
  • For customers who want to cut costs, we’re investing in search solutions for business productivity.
  • To realize our enterprise search vision across both scenarios (and beyond), we’re investing in an underlying search platform and Next-Generation innovations.
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    Q. What did Microsoft Announce at FASTforward‘09?
    A. At FASTforward‘09, Microsoft disclosed its enterprise search product roadmap.
    • Microsoft introduced FAST Search for SharePoint, a new search server that includes the full functionality and scale of FAST ESP tuned for SharePoint and delivered with low TCO and management simplicity. FAST Search for SharePoint will be available as a part of the next release of Office.
    • Microsoft announced the immediate availability of ESP for SharePoint, a special offering for qualified customers interested in FAST Search for SharePoint allowing them to bring the future licensing model forward and have a licensing path to FAST Search for SharePoint.
    • Microsoft introduced FAST Search for Internet Business, our product for customers who want to use search as an anchor for growing revenue online. FAST Search for Internet Business, which will be launched at roughly the same time FAST Search for SharePoint, builds on FAST ESP and provides major innovations in content integration and interaction management.
    Q. What is Microsoft enterprise search roadmap?
    A. Our enterprise search roadmap reflects two main business drivers, providing direct business value to our customers to increase revenue and cut costs with enterprise search products from Microsoft.
    • FAST Search for SharePoint – Productivity customers have historically been forced to choose between powerful, high-end search platforms or more mainstream, out-of the-box infrastructure solutions. The big news at FASTforward'09 was that we’re giving customers a new choice for business productivity by introducing FAST Search for SharePoint, a new search server available with Office 14, the next wave of Microsoft Office products that includes the full functionality and scale of FAST ESP tuned for SharePoint and delivered with low TCO and management simplicity.
    • FAST Search for Internet Business – For Internet Businesses, enterprise search enables greater control over how you attract and retain customers and ultimately drive revenue. Whether it’s for subscription sites, commerce sites, or ad-funded sites, search is a technology that delivers the most engaging user experiences that lead to desired business outcomes. At FASTforward'09, we announced FAST Search for Internet Business, our product for customers who want to use search as an anchor for growing revenue online. FAST Search for Internet Business, available in the same timeframe as FAST Search for SharePoint, is the next version of FAST ESP and provides major innovations for content integration and interaction management.
    • A common search platform - To realize our enterprise search vision across both scenarios (and beyond), we’re also investing in an underlying search platform and Next-Generation innovations.
    Q. How does FAST Search for SharePoint combine the best-in-class search capabilities of FAST ESP with the simplicity and low TCO of SharePoint?
    A. FAST Search for SharePoint offers the best of both worlds, providing a compelling out-of-the-box search experience and also delivering a high-end search platform that can be used to build advanced search applications. Using FAST Search for SharePoint, customers can take advantage of their SharePoint investment to do three things.
    • Get better answers, faster using conversational search experiences that understand your information.
    • Amplify the impact of knowledge and expertise by building on a platform for social computing, collaboration, ECM, and BI.
    • Tackle challenging requirements with a cost-effective enterprise search infrastructure.
    Q. Can customers interested in FAST Search for SharePoint buy ESP for SharePoint today?
    A. Yes. ESP for SharePoint is an ESP-based product that allows qualifying customers to buy high-end search capabilities today while enjoying a licensing path to FAST Search for SharePoint at availability. To qualify, customers must own a SharePoint Server and the SharePoint Enterprise Client Access License (CAL) for all intended users.
    Q. What is the difference between ESP for SharePoint and FAST Search for SharePoint?
    A. FAST Search for SharePoint will be optimized for business productivity scenarios, will be built on SharePoint, and will deliver significant out-of-the-box value. ESP for SharePoint is based on the currently available version of FAST ESP and does not deliver these benefits. It does, however, allow qualifying customers to buy high-end search capabilities today while enjoying a licensing path to FAST Search for SharePoint at availability. It is available from FAST today whereas FAST Search for SharePoint will be available from Microsoft in the future.
    Q. How long will the ESP for SharePoint offering be available?
    A. Customers can purchase ESP for SharePoint from FAST until FAST Search for SharePoint is available from Microsoft.