Due to the rapid quality improvement in internet searches, the expectation exists that enterprise search must deliver equal or even better results than an internet search. If a search engine on the internet can find its way through billions of web pages, an enterprise search solution should at least be able to handle the search needs of a single organisation.
This expectation has resulted in companies switching to standalone solutions for enterprise search, usually assuming that being able to find the relevant information would automatically lead to a business advantage. Even though finding the information delivers the desired result within the context of the internet (product price comparisons, a certain website or the local traffic situation for example), translating the business relevant information into business value requires a completely, more in-depth approach: The information that was found must be easily organised, analysed and translated into business insight. This knowledge must then be distributed quickly to the people who are responsible for taking action and increasing performance.
Therefore, Enterprise Search is a term that stands for converting information to business value.