Google Search Appliance Does a Two Step
August 20, 2009
The enhancements to Google’s three pronged thrust into enterprise search will come faster and faster. The prongs are the Google Search Appliance (GSA), Site Search, and various search APIs that make it possible to knit together various Google functions to put information access in front of enterprise users. Over the years, I have written about the Google’s incremental improvements which are often taken slowly and without much fanfare. A change is taking place in what I call “Google velocity”. By 2010, the Google enterprise search team will be doing the boog-a-loo in the enterprise and on several fronts in this significant push to build market share.
Two observations:
First, you can read the mainstream media’s version of the most recent GSA announcement in the Washington Post. The story is an interesting attempt for traditional newspapers to stay current. The story, originally from TechCrunch, appears as Washington Post certified prime rib as “Google Updates Enterprise Search.” I was puzzled why an intrepid Post reporter did not visit with some of the Googlers either in the government nerve center or in the Virginia research lab. Heck, superstar Vint Cerf is within phone distance.
A couple of quick comments:
- The key point is that Google is applying choice to the interface. This is important because most enterpriser search teams get tangled in the confusion between a portal type presentation of the information and the actual search results. Google cuts this problem down to size by putting choice in front of the user. Nice touch because committees almost have a perfect record in creating poor search experiences for actual users.
- The second point is that the GSA and Site Search are beginning to show overt signs of reinforcement. At Beyond Search, the goslings think this is a very important and clearly expressed development. The reason is that more organizations are finding themselves with a need to have an onsite solution and a hosted option for certain content. The new announcements described by Leena Rao made this option clear to the geese in Harrod’s Creek.
Now, what’s * not * in the many write ups we reviewed about this announcement. Two observations:
First, the Google is not longer overhauling the GSA with each innovation. The product is sufficiently mature to allow significant feature to be added without the original 12 to 16 month delays between upgrades.
Second, the complexity of search continues to baffle procurement teams. Some vendors are in the process of adding even more complexity to search. For examples of this approach, read my recent posts about the forthcoming Microsoft FAST ESP search system. There are different technical systems in the Microsoft solution and the complexities of delivering a high performance, flexible system are about to be made clear to many SharePoint licensees. Google takes a different approach—a very different approach.
Is this GSA the big announcement in search this week? Nope, the Google has made some important changes in its other search systems. Beyond Search will comment on these in a day or two. In the meantime, changes will come more and more quickly as the GSA becomes more robust without losing its ease of deployment.
No wonder more and more search vendors are exploring business intelligence, customer support, sentiment analysis and ediscovery. Those are sectors where Google, at the present time, is not exerting significant pressure.
Stephen Arnold, August 20, 2009
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