AltaVista will today launch new software designed to aid
businesses in conducting searches through corporate network data
and e-mail accounts. The software addresses many of the challenges
that businesses face in locating all the information that rests in
far-flung places, according to the company. This would include
employee laptops and personal digital assistants (PDAs).
The software is based on the same technology as AltaVista’s
internet search engine. Security features in the software enable
customers to determine what material they would like to be covered
by the search, leaving certain areas of an offices computer system
to remain off-limits, if desired. Another feature will be a
restriction on the number of employees able to access and search
the master index.
The company has said that the software has been well received
during test runs by companies including Vertex Pharmaceuticals and
Putnam Investments, and will save businesses time and money. This
is based on the premise that a company will be better off if it is
easier for more employees to search company intranets, workers’
e-mail boxes, and hard drives. Alta Vista estimates that this will
be the case as up to 75% of information on corporate networks and
PC’s is often stored in formats that cannot be easily searched.
