Microsoft Fast Partner Update
February 11, 2010
I received from a reader at a really obscure email address an email containing some text that interested me. I don’t know if the text I received is complete or is accurate, but I wanted to document my seeing it so I can do some further checking. According to the short accompanying comments, this text is from a message made available to Microsoft partners last week. I will reproduce what I have received and invite comments. At the foot of this item, I offer several observations.
Dear________,
Today, we announced that the 2010 release of FAST Search products, Microsoft® FAST™ Search Server 2010 for Internet Sites (FSIS) and Microsoft® FAST™ Search Server 2010 for Internal Applications (FSIA), will be the last release to include a search core that runs on Linux and UNIX. By focusing on Windows we’ll be able to tap into a valuable set of competencies and assets across Microsoft and deliver better technologies more efficiently to our customers. We recognize that our future focus on Windows will be a transition for our non-Windows customers, and we’re taking steps to help.
- We’re committed to supporting ESP 5.3-our multi-OS search core-for 10 years as per our support policy. Non-Windows customers who want to remain on the ESP 5.3 core can take advantage of new Windows-only innovations by using a mixed-platform architecture.
- We remain committed to interoperability with non-Windows systems on both the front- and back-end. Our search solutions will crawl and index content stored on Windows, Linux, and Unix systems, and our UI controls will work with UI frameworks running on any operating system.
- We’re introducing a Customer Upgrade Program that will help customers evaluate our hosted solutions and/or a Windows-based deployment. The program will help customers assess level of effort, plan for the project, and implement the upgrade.
Furthermore, we are also announcing four other roadmap updates:
- Simplified licensing models: We’re simplifying the way we license our products and making pricing more transparent. In the 2010 Wave our Productivity search products will be licensed using a Server/CAL model and our Internet search products will be licensed using a Server-only model. Qualifying customers will receive license grants to our new 2010 wave products.
- SharePoint for Internet Sites, Enterprise: In the 2010 Wave we will offer two versions of SharePoint for Internet Sites-Enterprise and Standard. The Enterprise version will include rights to FAST Search for SharePoint for use outside the firewall.
- ESP Add-ons: At FAST Search for Internet Sites (FSIS) availability we will no longer sell ImPulse, Unity, Recommendations, or Featured Content as separate add-ons. Commerce, Federation, and Recommendations capabilities will still be available as a part of FSIS and are included in our product roadmap. Partners need to engage FAST Global Services to implement these capabilities for interested customers.
- AdMomentum: Effective February 2, 2010, we will no longer sell FAST AdMomentum, our search-based advertising solution.
I hope these announcements and attached <http://www.fastsearch.com/document/ESG_Roadmap_Update-FASTPartners-Feb5_2010_oyaGI.pdf.file> FAQ provide sufficient information to help you plan your engagements with FAST customers. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to write to us…
The information seems generally consistent with the news stories I read. Other observations that struck me as warranted are:
- Lots of “commitment” type words when Microsoft Fast seems to be cutting loose the Linux and Unix customers
- I like the word “wave” in the second set of bullets. Reminds me of Forrester and Google.
- Orphaned it seems are some of Fast Search & Transfer revenue generating add ons unless you get the FSIS as a bundle. FSIS means Fast Search for Internet Sites. (Why not use Google’s custom search engine? I would. It is free and works.)
- The keeper is “better technologies”.
Okay. This will be an interesting enterprise search initiative to watch.
Stephen E Arnold, February 10, 2010
No one paid me to write this short news item. I will report this to the General Accountability Office where accountability is Job One.
Comments
4 Responses to “Microsoft Fast Partner Update”
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Stephen, great blog – I check it regularly. BTW, it is Fast Search for Internal Sites (not Internet sites). They are targeting companies that are not fully vested in the SharePoint beast with this FSIS bundle.
Actually you are incorrect.
It is this:
Microsoft® FAST™ Search Server 2010 for Internal Applications (“FSIA”).
and this:
Microsoft® FAST™ Search Server 2010 for Internet Sites (“FSIS”).
So do you mean FSIS is liked google custom search. So as long as if the document or data is the intranet and not open to public. They can use FSIS?
Sorry what i meant is they can’t use FSIS