Microsoft is announcing the release of two new search products slated to be released in the first half of next year. Both products are designed to address the needs of companies that require a search solution, but aren't willing to commit to the purchase of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS as it's often called). The MOSS offering contains a number of modules such as Collaboration, Business Intelligence, Records Management, in addition to Enterprise Search. Many smaller organizations where unwilling to pay a higher price just to obtain the search piece. This enabled Microsoft's competitors to successfully attack the low end market. Companies like Google, with Google Mini, and IBM with the IBM-Yahoo! OmniFind edition has done very well in this market according to the analysts.
One of the products is called Microsoft SharePoint Search Server Express and will be available as a free download. This is clearly a reaction to the low priced Google Mini which starts at $2,500 and IBM's offering which is available for free. The Express Edition is currently available in the Release Candidate Version at the following location:
http://www.microsoft.com/enterprisesearch/serverproducts/...
.....searchserverexpress/download.aspx
Pricing for the more robust SharePoint Server for Search has yet to be released, but Microsoft has announced it will have serveral new features such as a Federation framework that will enable partners to develop connectors enabling Federated Search. BA-Insight is currently leveraging this framework developing a number of connectors to different data repositories. The current list of partner connectors can be found here: