Google to Grab More Office Space

Google said it will offer automated business management features that have so far been missing from its enterprise search repertoire, according to a recent report.

Matt Glotzbach, director of product management for Googles enterprise products, confirmed earlier reports that real-time access to information is on the way.

Google will soon let its corporate search customers get real-time access to their companys computer networks, thus providing the basis for features like ERP (enterprise resource management).

In an e-mail to eWEEK, Dave Girouard, general manager of Google Enterprise, wrote that Google plans to upgrade its search appliances later this year to increase the types of searchable content “and boost the types of authentication and authorization systems with which the appliance can interoperate.”

/zimages/6/28571.gifRead morehereabout Googles office software.

The supposed addition of real-time applications helps Googles enterprise division better compete against office software king Microsoft and its ubiquitous Office and Windows product, as well as enterprise search specialists and market leaders Fast Search & Transfer ASA of Oslo, Norway, and Autonomy, of Cambridge, England.

Its estimated that corporations spent $600 million in 2005 for this type of equipment. Enterprise search falls under the category that number-crunching analysts call “workforce optimization.” Analysts at Datamonitor predict $1 billion in sales of such services and gear by the end of 2006.

/zimages/6/28571.gifRead morehereabout how critics responded to Googles recently-released GooglePack of office software.

Despite robust sales during its first year, Googles enterprise features still lag behind the markets incumbents. As of mid-2005, Google Enterprise had 2,000 corporate clients, which puts the Mountain View, Calif., company far behind Microsoft, Verity Inc., Autonomy and FAST.

Editors Note: This story was updated to include comments and information from Google.

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