Employees spend 3+ hrs a day searching for information that they need. This wasted time has become a huge problem for enterprises with large tech stacks and ever-growing knowledge bases. That’s where enterprise search software comes in to help organizations improve productivity and efficiency.

In this guide, we’ll cover: 

• What is enterprise search software?  
• Features to look for in enterprise search tools 
• Top enterprise search software vendors for 2024

Understanding internal information search 

Workplace search works like Google, only it’s restricted to your company’s internal knowledge. Google retrieves information from across the internet, but internal search sources knowledge from within your company. This process, also called enterprise search, requires robust software to crawl and index information from multiple sources.

What is enterprise search software?

Enterprise search software is a SaaS product that specializes in internal information search. It connects to company data sources to retrieve relevant information based on user queries. The most powerful enterprise search engines use AI and machine learning to provide relevant, insightful answers.

Features of the best enterprise search software

Selecting the right tool requires careful consideration of various key factors. Here are the top features to look at: 

• Up-to-date index: For internal search, high performance means consistent, high-relevance results that give people the answers they need based on their search queries. This requires robust back-end engineering and a frequently updated search index.

• Robust integrations and data connectors: Integrations and APIs play a crucial role in extending the functionality of an enterprise search platform. Advanced integration capabilities allow the tool to extract and index data from various sources, such as file storage systems, knowledge bases, and other web apps. This unified approach enables users to access information seamlessly from a single search interface, enhancing productivity and efficiency within the organization.

• Built-in GenAI: Generative AI (like ChatGPT) is transforming the way we use technology. Over 70% of companies are trying GenAI, and the SaaS market has many new generative AI tools available. That’s why the best enterprise search software includes this technology. GenAI’s natural language processing enables conversational search, contextual follow-ups, and augmented intelligence. 

• Highest-standard security and privacy: Not all internal search platforms support enterprise-grade security. Look for solutions that adhere to industry standards for data privacy and encryption, like SOC 2 Type II. Extra features like Single Sign-On or access governance ensure only authorized individuals can access company information or specific search results. The most secure software even lets you bring your own cloud and/or LLM API key. 

• Reliable performance at enterprise scale: Enterprise companies need search software that can handle large amounts of data, high user volume, and frequent information changes. You want a platform that won’t lag during peak usage and indexes frequently to account for new and updated data. Another important enterprise feature is fault-tolerant infrastructure, which ensures no loss of service.

• User-friendly interface: Enterprise search platforms should mimic the frictionless UX of external search engines. That’s what people are familiar with, and it’ll make company-wide adoption of internal search more successful. You should also look for tools that work where you work – like Slack and other communication apps.
  
• Insightful analytics based on search data: While any AI-powered search has the potential to track analytics, not all platforms make that information available to users. Find a search solution with accessible analytics to gain insights into your company’s popular queries, app usage, not-found terms, and team-specific searches.

• Industry-specific features & customization: When selecting enterprise AI search tools, it is beneficial to consider industry-specific features that cater to your business. These features will vary depending on your industry, such as healthcare, financial services, or technology. Look for tools that offer specialized capabilities tailored to meet your sector’s unique needs and challenges. Additionally, top enterprise AI search platforms provide the option for customization, enabling businesses to tailor the software to meet their unique data needs.

• Competitive pricing & ROI: Even though a majority of companies are experimenting with generative AI, only 18% plan to spend more on AI in the coming year. This means that most companies aren’t willing to adjust their budgets to accommodate new tech. The solution? Find enterprise search software with competitive pricing that maximizes saved time, translating to increased productivity and a net-positive return on your SaaS investment. 

For more tips on balancing cost and growth, read this article on SaaS budget planning.

Enterprise Search Software: 2024 Vendors

 Here are some of the enterprise search solutions available in 2024. Each tool offers different levels of functionality that you will want to review when deciding on a tool to invest in.

1. GoSearch 
2. Glean 
3. Guru 
4. Coveo 
5. Elastic 
6. IBM Watson Discovery 
7. Pinecone
8. Lucidworks Fusion 
9. Microsoft Graph and Copilot 
10. Google Cloud Search
11. AlphaSense 
12. Site Search 360 
13. Dashworks 
14. Algolia
15. Qatalog 

Top Enterprise Search Software Vendors 

1. GoSearch

GoSearch, launched by the team at GoLinks, is an AI-powered enterprise search tool designed to address the challenge of time-consuming information retrieval in the workplace. With features such as unified search, generative AI-driven assistance, interactive chat functionality, search analytics, and robust enterprise security, GoSearch enhances knowledge discovery and productivity for organizations by providing a centralized source of information accessible through a user-friendly interface.

Pros & cons: 

✅ Data indexed in real-time 

✅ 100+ integrations (personal and workplace connectors)

✅ AI summaries with semantic understanding

✅ 99.9% uptime SLA

✅ Non-indexed private data

✅ High functionality, low cost 

✅ Integrate your own LLM API key 

✅ Advanced AI (like custom GPTs)

Reasons why enterprise companies trust GoSearch:

• SOC 2 Type II certified and GDPR compliant
• Secure data encryption
• Integrates with your existing SSO
• High availability with 99.9% uptime SLA
• Permission-aware access that respects underlying access restrictions
• Indexing controls that keep personal data private
• Integrate your own LLM API key for enhanced security 
• Bring your own cloud to store data on company servers 

2. Glean 

Glean’s workplace search provides organizations with a tool designed to simplify information retrieval. It offers users advanced search functionalities and a user-friendly interface to aid in efficient data location within the workplace.

Pros & cons: 

✅ Data indexed in real-time 

✅ 100+ integrations 

✅ AI summaries with semantic understanding

✅ 99.9% uptime SLA

❌ Non-indexed private data

❌ High functionality, low cost 

❌ Integrate your own LLM API key 

❌ Advanced AI

3. Guru 

Guru is a knowledge management solution designed to empower teams with access to verified information and expertise. It serves as a centralized platform where organizations can capture, organize, and share knowledge effectively.

Pros & cons: 

❌ Data indexed in real-time 

❌ 100+ integrations 

❌ AI summaries with semantic understanding

✅ 99.9% uptime SLA

❌ Non-indexed private data

❌ High functionality, low cost 

❌ Integrate your own LLM API key 

❌ Advanced AI

Additional Enterprise Search Software Vendors 

4. Coveo

Coveo’s cloud-based AI search and recommendation platform leverages semantic search, machine learning-based recommendations, and natural language processing. It focuses on enhancing customer-facing digital experiences and improving internal knowledge management. 

5. Elastic Enterprise AI Search

Known for being an open-source search and analytics engine, Elastic Enterprise AI Search helps developers create customizable search apps. Its key features include analytics, advanced relevance, machine-learning models, and scalable data ingestion. 

6. IBM Watson Discovery

IBM Watson Discovery empowers individuals to search and analyze extensive amounts of structured and unstructured information using natural language processing. It aids in discovering insights and trends across multiple data sources. 

7. Pinecone

Pinecone is a vector database and search service that helps developers create scalable search applications. It specializes in handling high-dimensional data and provides efficient search functionality, making it suitable for various use cases like recommendation systems and similarity-based search.

8. Lucidworks Fusion

Lucidworks Fusion is a platform for enterprise AI search that assists organizations in linking users with pertinent data. By breaking down data silos and utilizing open-source search technology, Lucidworks Fusion indexes varied data sources into a unified index. 

9. Microsoft Graph and Copilot 

Copilot, powered by Microsoft Graph, is an AI-driven tool that integrates with the Microsoft 365 Suite. It allows you to easily search within your company’s Microsoft ecosystem. 

10. Google Cloud Search 

Google Cloud Search is an enterprise search solution that enables organizations to search across their entire G Suite securely. It provides a unified search experience, allowing users to find information stored in Gmail, Google Drive, Calendar, Contacts, and other connected applications.

11. AlphaSense 

AlphaSense uses artificial intelligence to provide insights from a vast database of public and private content. This makes it a valuable platform for market intelligence. Users can access broker research, expert calls, SEC filings, earnings transcripts, news, and more. 

12. Site Search 360 

Site Search 360 offers a website search product that enables indexing of various content types like pages, products, videos, FAQs, and documents. By offering crawling, sitemaps, feeds, and semantic search capabilities, Site Search 360 ensures users find relevant results efficiently.

13. Dashworks 

Dashworks is an enterprise search platform that centralizes and organizes internal company information. It offers content aggregation and search optimization features, empowering teams to quickly locate and access relevant resources, documents, and expertise within the organization.

14. Algolia

Algolia offers AI search for enterprise websites with the main end-user being enterprise customers, rather than internal employees. With this tool you can index content and fine-tune rankings to improve the customer experience.

15. Qatalog

Qatalog is a platform that integrates organizational knowledge, communication, and collaboration tools into a unified workspace. It facilitates seamless access to information, team members, and projects, streamlining workflows.

For a full feature comparison chart of the top vendors, download our Comprehensive Guide to Enterprise Search Tools in the GenAI Era

FAQs

How do I use enterprise search?

Employees can start by accessing the platform through a designated interface, such as a search bar integrated into their company’s collaboration tools. They can then enter a search query, such as project name, document title, or keywords related to the information they need. Employees can refine search results using filters to narrow down the information they need. Once relevant results are retrieved, employees can preview or access the documents directly from the search results page.

How does enterprise search software handle updates to the search index in real-time?

Enterprise search software typically handles updates to the search index in real time through incremental indexing, tracking changes to the data source, and updating the index accordingly. For large amounts of data and frequent changes, it may employ batch processing and asynchronous indexing to optimize performance while ensuring search responsiveness.

Can the enterprise search software provide detailed insights into the analytics it tracks?

Yes, high-quality enterprise search software should be able to provide detailed insights into analytics, including specific user queries, popular content, and trends within the organization. This includes tracking user query analytics, content popularity based on user interactions, and trend analysis to identify emerging patterns and topics of interest.

What customization options does the enterprise search software offer?

Certain enterprise search software offers various customization options for user interface and user experience. This includes the option to change visual appearance, adjust search result rankings and filters, relevance tuning tools, and integration with external systems.

How crucial is ease of use in successfully implementing enterprise AI search platforms? 

Ease of use plays a big role in the successful implementation of enterprise AI search platforms. When considering enterprise search platforms, it is essential to prioritize user experience to ensure all employees can navigate the system. A lack of intuitive design and user-friendly features often leads to implementation failures in AI search initiatives. 

What enterprise search software features matter the most in 2024?

Prioritize a tool that offers AI-powered search algorithms, enterprise security, user-friendly interfaces, customizable features, and seamless integration. 

Unlock powerful outcomes with AI enterprise search software

It’s important to find the best enterprise search software for your company, since search is a fundamental part of everyone’s job – whether that’s a manager looking for people data, a support specialist pulling resources for a client, or a new hire trying to get oriented. 

A tool that everyone uses every day to work more efficiently and effectively – sounds too good to be true. But that’s exactly what enterprise search offers. Book a demo to see how GoSearch can bring knowledge discovery to your company.