14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has updated its free search offering for enterprise customers running the latest iteration of the Windows Server platform in their infrastructure. Business users can now download Search Server 2008 Express complete with Service Pack 2 and fully compatible with Windows Server 2008 R2 straight from the Redmond company. Both the 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64) flavors of Search Server 2008 Express are currently available via the Microsoft Download Center. Customers that have upgraded or planning to upgrade to Windows Server 2008 R2 and that also rely on Search Server will need to grab this and this release only.
“Bring enterprise search to your organization quickly and easily for FREE with Microsoft Search Server 2008 Express. As an IT professional, you need a search solution that allows you to deliver the simple, easy-to-use experience your users expect while helping to meet the security and manageability requirements your IT environment demands. The download on this page has been updated to include Service Pack 2. In order to install Search Server 2008 Express on Windows Server 2008 R2, you must use this download. Previously available versions will not install,” Microsoft explained.
The best thing about Search Server 2008 Express SP2 is, of course, the fact that it is offered as a free download, on top of the deep integration with Windows Sever 2008 R2. Microsoft notes that customers will be able to benefit from a seamless enterprise-grade search solution with minimal deployment efforts. Search Server 2008 Express SP2 is capable of indexing a variety of information sources including Web sites, SharePoint sites, Exchange Server public folders, EMC Documentum, IBM FileNet, and Lotus Notes repositories, Microsoft explained.
The company enumerated a few of the advantages delivered by Search Server 2008 Express, including the fact that it allows customers to “review common administrative tasks, search status, and settings in a single view. Manage content sources and search scopes, authoritative sources, key words, best bets, and other configurable relevancy settings through a powerful, easy-touse management console. [Companies will also be able to] easily upgrade to a multiserver topology with Microsoft Search Server 2008 or Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 as your enterprise search needs evolve,” the software giant informed.
Search Server 2008 Express Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows Server 2008 R2 is available for download here.