Enterprise search software facilitates the organized retrieval of stored data, whether that be data internal to an organization or externally facing sources like applications and websites. These solutions clean and structure data, enabling users to securely enter and find data across various data sources, including databases, documents, applications, websites, and intranets. Users across multiple roles and teams can benefit from using enterprise search software since the retrieval of data from a mix of databases and shared sources is key to accomplishing many tasks within a business setting. Enterprise search software can also provide search as a service capabilities, allowing businesses to securely expose select data and information sources (including product catalogs, videos, and marketing content) to external sources, such as mobile applications and websites.
Enterprise search software “Google-izes" data: It circumvents the time and effort that goes into tagging, filing, sharing, and retrieving information regardless of size and media type, creating a secure, powerful, and easy-to-use search function. Enterprise search software used within an business context usually integrates with business intelligence and data management solutions (or product information management software within an e-commerce setting), which are used to clean and structure data, making information easier to locate. While integration is not required, search software can pull information from various sources such as CRM, ERP, HR management suites, supply chain suites, and more.
To qualify for inclusion in the Enterprise search category, a product must:
Collect and update information from different data sources, types, and formats
Index or archive data
Provide intelligent search options (autocomplete, find similar, rank by relevance, etc.)
Create an interface to search and retrieve data
Allow users to refine their search using advanced filters
Define user permissions to access information
