SharePoint, SQL Server Anchor Enterprise Search

As an increasing amount of corporate information is stored in digital form, organizations need tools to find data on intranets and let customers find data on their Web sites, regardless of where data are stored. Microsoft’s approach toward this market opportunity—known as enterprise search—has been to develop a single core search technology which the company’s product groups then customize for their own audiences. As a consequence, the company faces the intense competition in enterprise search with a fairly consistent, quickly evolving search technology, but also with some gaps in its enterprise search product line.

The company’s recommended solution for most types of enterprise search is SharePoint Portal Server (SPS) 2003; SQL Server and Windows Server can also be used for some subsets of enterprise search. However, SPS is costly and complex for smaller businesses, SQL Server requires all information to be stored within the database, and the search functionality built into Windows Server—Microsoft’s recommended solution for enabling search on simpler Web sites—is based on older technology.