Enterprise Search Market Stabilising

By Greg McNevin

March 2, 2009: According to new survey data from CMS watch, the enterprise search marketplace is finally settling down after years of turbulence.

According to the content technology analyst firm, in the past those looking for search and information access technology were greeted with vendors and technology both undergoing rapid change, however it appears that the choice of offerings is now more stable.

"Stability in the search technology market hasn’t brought about serious consolidation, but we've finally arrived at a point where there's plenty of easy-to-install and relatively well-performing solutions," says Adriaan Bloem, an Analyst for The Search & Information Access Report 2009.

Bloem says that many vendors are now offering more balance, or have migrated to slower product development, improving market stability. While development has slowed, he adds that "[E]nterprises in need of search technology still have a wealth of choices - in some cases, several from the same vendor."

CMS watch says that signs of the search market stabilising include Microsoft spending much of the past year honing and recently debuting a new strategy for its multiple search offerings, while the products themselves changed little. It also says that few search vendors debuted major releases in the last 6 months, instead choosing to focus on refining existing offerings and improving marketing.

“Some may see these developments as a sign that search technology is stagnating or that vendors are innovating less, and in some ways that's true,” says CMS Watch Principal, Theresa Regli. “But like so many other companies in this economy, search vendors have become more risk-averse, and are focusing on stabilising what they have and selling smarter.”

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