Recommind recently announced MindServer Search™ 6.0, the latest version of its flagship enterprise search product. It is built on Recommind’s CORE™ platform (Context Optimized Relevancy Engine). This latest version adds features such as enhanced relevancy tuning and extends the system’s federated search framework. The combination of these two enhancements is designed to enable enterprises to efficiently access and make actionable more internal and external information, expertise and relationships.

MindServer Search 6.0 securely integrates the search of structured and unstructured data inside and outside of enterprise networks in a seamless manner. It allows enterprises to boost certain search results based on select properties of a document, including: freshness, rank, specific metadata and document length. Here is a sample screen of search results.

Search results can feature ‘Best Bets’ which are preselected files linked to particular queries. Also available is a ‘Sponsored Links’ feature, which brings external or indexed documents to the user’s attention through specific queries, but places them outside of the standard search results area. In addition, users can choose to boost results based on their individual profile or that of their team. Here is a sample screen with smart filters.

The need for fast and efficient enterprise search is an increasing necessity with the increasing needs data-driven eDiscovery, records management and compliance. However, not all organizations are fully addressing the challenges. Recommind released some interesting research on this issue. They did a survey of senior IT managers at enterprises averaging more than 17,000 employees to examine their views on the importance of eDiscovery to the enterprise as a whole, the coordination of eDiscovery efforts between IT and legal departments and the roles that each department plays in setting corporate policies and making technology buying decisions.

They found that only 37% of IT respondents reported that legal and IT were working more closely together than the year before. In addition, only 21% felt that eDiscovery was a “very high” priority, and only 29% truly understood the technical requirements of eDiscovery.

There were other signs of the need for improved relationship between legal and IT on these issues as only 12% of IT respondents felt that the legal department understood the technical requirements for eDiscovery and only 16% thought that legal was helpful during eDiscovery projects.

This disconnect seems more troubling when looking at their results on corporate accountability and project responsibility.  Legal owned accountability for eDiscovery in the vast majority of companies (73% of respondents) and about half for records management  (47%) and data retention (50%). This is spite of the fact that the IT department actually makes the technology buying decisions for projects supporting these areas 72% of the time.

The rise of government involvement in many industries and the strong possibility of increasing oversight, suggests that enterprises pay more attention to this area.  Even in areas without increased government oversight, the economic downturn requirements that companies get their information assets in order and make them more accessible. This is the focus of MindServer Search 6.0. It is also a priority for enterprise governance.