Since changing its strategy, search engine pure play Inktomi Corp. has been making inroads into server boxes.
The Foster City, Calif.-based company’s latest deal announced this week includes combining its Inktomi Enterprise Search software inside Microsoft Content Management Server. The combo means customers can use Inktomi’s index and retrieve Web content managed by Microsoft’s Server.
Earlier this month, Microsoft unveiled its Content Management Server 2002, which is a big part of its .NET strategy. The Redmond, Wash.-based software king hopes it will steal some market share in the cutthroat content management space from longtime incumbents like Interwoven and Vignette. IDC has forecast the document and content management business will grow at a 44 percent clip over the next few years, reaching $24.4 billion in 2006.
“Microsoft Content Management Server simplifies the process of building, deploying and maintaining corporate Web sites and enables organizations to share relevant and timely information with employees, customers and partners,” said Eric Swift, lead product manager of .NET Enterprise Servers at Microsoft. “The integration of Inktomi Enterprise Search with Content Management Server enhances the accessibility of critical business information and enables more meaningful and accurate information retrieval for our mutual customers.”
Currently as part of its Internet business solution kit, Microsoft offers customers and systems integrators an evaluation copy of Inktomi Enterprise Search, which includes Microsoft Content Management Server. In addition, Inktomi is also offering its consulting services as part of the deal for those who want to better understand how Inktomi Enterprise Search software with Microsoft Content Management Server can work together.
“Inktomi Enterprise Search with Microsoft Content Management Server provides enterprises with a winning combination for improving the process of publishing, managing and retrieving critical business information,” said Dominic Gattuso, senior vice president and general manager, Enterprise Search Solutions at Inktomi. “As a Microsoft Certified Partner, Inktomi is pleased to be working with Microsoft on this integration to expand the reach of our information retrieval solutions and extend our ability to deliver enterprise-wide search capabilities to global companies.”
Other customers tapping into Inktomi’s Enterprise Search software include Hewlett-Packard , IBM
and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.
Inktomi is trying to rustle up more customers for its software considering the search engine outsourcing outlook is good. By 2003, 95 percent of the top 2,000 global corporations will deploy infrastructures to cope with the problem of managing content posted to their Web sites, according to Meta Group analysts.
