Enterprise Search: Six Key Trends To Watch

First-generation enterprise search was not easy to use and produced unsatisfactory results from a usability and relevance standpoint. Today's knowledge workers demand role-specific, contextual search everywhere they work. In recent interviews with Forrester, search experts expressed optimism about their ability to deliver search solutions that are both usable and useful. Search technology is mature and stable; for the most part, bottlenecks regarding scale, security, and connectivity can be easily resolved. So the trends to watch focus on strategy, not technology. In 2011, content and collaboration (C&C) professionals responsible for search will position themselves as trusted advisors to the business, add value to the social output of empowered employees, and confront content quality problems head-on.