SharePoint 2007 brought enterprise class features into an integrated user experience. Yesterday, Microsoft released a free version of its beloved enterprise search product dubbed Search Server 2008 Express. This release will allow any IT department to deploy and have a usable search product within 30 minutes. They will also be offering a paid version which will allow business users to search internal computers systems and tie in Live.com web results into the mix.
Free as in Pay For Additional Features?
What functionalities have been stripped down from the paid version? None. The only difference between the paid version and the free version is that the paid version will be licensed to run on multiple servers. Well actually for a few additionality features like high availabiltiy and load balancing are not available. Here is a comparison chart that should answer most of your questions:
Since you already have the search functionality, either in WSS or MOSS (Standard or Enterprise) then you can still utilize Search Server 2008 Express to get more search capabilities. BDC is one of those features that you would not gain from Search Server 2008 Express (SSE).
Features:
- There is no limit on how many documents you can index.
- Search any business system or online service that supports OpenSearch standard (OpenSearch is a collection of simple formats for the sharing of search results)
- Federated Search Connectors will assist in searching other application data
- Out-of-the-box Indexing Connectors will help quickly index popular data sources (ie. Exchange)
- Ability to use Desktop iFilters to be used on the server
- Full list of features
Download or Demo
Search Server 2008 Express release candidate is pre-beta and most probably you will run into issues. But for those that are willing to see where Microsoft is going with this, then why not download and install. Check out Bill’s post on Installing and Configuring Search Server 2008 Express (MSSX). If you have any issues, post them at the Search Server 2008 Expres product forums!
Mike P provides a link to the Flash Demo for Search Server 2008 Express, check out the flash demo or download the click thru demo.
Competition
There’s already competition from the likes of Google and Yahoo but Microsoft’s success with SharePoint, this is going to have a huge impact on the enterprise search market. Many organizations have asked for a search solution that provides just that: search without the extra frills.
UPDATE: Doing a quick Google search for Search Server 2008 Express, you can see that Google is already targeting/displaying ads for its search solution Google Mini.
News Sources and Additional Resources:
- Announcing Microsoft Search Server 2008 Express - OpenSearch standards compliance and Federated search connectors from Partners will provide added value to all deployments. Cross posted at SP Team Blog Announcing Microsoft Search Server 2008 Express
- Microsoft Search Server 2008 Express RC go live! - Jie Li has an example for you that integrates Flickr Tag Search, Yahoo Image Search and Youtube.
- Search Server Express Announced Today - Joel Oleson reminds us that Search Server Express, Search Server, and Office SharePoint Server “all share a common enterprise search platform.”
- Microsoft Search Server Demo here…!, Microsoft Search Server Launched - Free Version Available!!, Microsoft Enterprise Search Click Through Demo - download it here! - Mike P has posted some really good content here that is hard to find elsewhere
- Back Online and Lots of Happenings In the World of SharePoint - MikeG links to the announcement of Search Server 2008 Express
- Changing the Enterprise-Class Search Landscape - Kirk Koenigsbauer, general manager, SharePoint Business Group at Microsoft.
- Microsoft Enterprise Search To Go Free - RWW discusses if the this new search solution will have an impact on the market
- Microsoft Expands Enterprise Search Offering, Introduces Search Server 2008 Express - a press release at CNNMoney simply states that cost is no longer an issue for companies that may have thought such a solution was either too complex, or too expensive
- Microsoft readies free enterprise-search product - Mary points out that “the Express SKU won’t provide the high-availability and load-balancing capabilities of the other two Microsoft enterprise-search products”
- Search for Free! Search Server 2008 Express Announced - Kevin provides a link to the product comparison page
- VS2008, SharePoint Search Server 2008 Express Announced - Eli posts about VS2008 arrival possible end of month and feature set of SS 2008 Express
- Search Server 2008 Express Site
- Download (SearchServerExpress-x86.exe, SearchServerExpress-x64.exe)
- TechNet: Microsoft Search Server 2008 Express
