Google pushes enterprise search

Google has launched the Google Enterprise Professional programme in an effort to make more businesses use the search company's services.

The new programme allows service providers and software developers to be trained in Google's professional products. The search engine has several professional products, including the Google Search Appliance and Google Desktop Search for Enterprises, but offers only basic support and doesn't offer customisation services.

The partnerships allow enterprises to have the Google technology search data from sources that currently aren't accessible. Among the current partners for instance are providers that offer integration with data in SAP enterprise applications or databases that are hosted on mainframe systems.

"The goal is to create an ecosystem of technology and service providers who bring to bear added value to our business customers," Google product manager Matt Glotzbach told vnunet.com, a sister title to IWR.

"We see more customers adopting Google search technology as their unified information platform. There are opportunities to provide search across all data, but we don't have expertise in legacy or enterprise applications. That's where we see real value from partners. "

The programme focuses on technology that allows the Google appliance to search new data. It's not intended to increase sales of the appliances themselves, Glotzback added.

In the past Google has primarily depended on its brand as a consumer search provider in selling its professional products, but that didn't suffice in the enterprise market, said Robert Lehrner, a senior analyst for application infrastructure and data warehousing for Current Analysis.

"[Google] needs this programme to bring their products to the attention of the enterprise. These partners can develop certain markets where it's not that just because you're Google you're going to be chosen," Lehrner said.

Google has too much of a reputation as being a web search provider that relies on advertising revenues, which has left the enterprise search market open to specialist providers such as Verity and Autonomy.

"Google is going to have to overcome its own reputation and demonstrate that it can provide solid enterprise search," said Lehrner.

In addition to Google several established search and enterprise infrastructure vendors are targeting the enterprise search market, including Yahoo, IBM and Microsoft.

Google's programme is currently only available for US partners. It will expand to other geographies next month, Glotzbach said.

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