The US technology giant Microsoft has made an announcement at Build 2019 of the general availability for its latest search facility – Microsoft Search.
Back in 2018, at the annual Ignite conference, Microsoft introduced a brand-new organisational experience for searching that would be offered across SharePoint, Yammer, Teams, OneDrive, Windows, Office and Bing. Now Microsoft has announced publicly the general availability for this search experience dubbed simply “Microsoft Search”.
Microsoft Search is an intelligent search experience that uses technology benefitting from Artificial intelligence found in Bing combined with bespoke insights uncovered through the Microsoft Graph, making it a more efficient search tool for users.
Microsoft Search is always present and on hand for users who require its function. It can be found in the internet browser, on the desktop, and within the header section across multiple applications such as Office, SharePoint and Outlook among many others. More than merely a series of links, Microsoft Search has been developed to anticipate customer needs and aims to work not just for users but alongside them aiding and easing workflow.
A breakdown of some of the benefits of Microsoft Search
Microsoft Search is designed to work with users and assist them. Quickly finding relevant content through query predictions, it can facilitate workflow by making recommendations of appropriate documents users may need. More than just a search facility, it can help customers fulfil their workload with features such as task completion which can provide key “How to” information to allow them to accomplish work.
Encompassing multiple applications, Microsoft Search can connect users with files, contacts and conversations wherever they happen to be working. For example, a client could be working on a collaborative project in SharePoint and locate relevant files or conversations in Yammer or Teams without needing to exit the platform.
Connecting with colleagues is also made easier. From adaptive cards users can directly send out an email, make a phone call or initiate a conversation in Microsoft Teams speeding up productivity by cutting back on the search time.
Combining web search and exploring organisational archives in a unified engine, Microsoft Search allows users to get the best of all resources for information working at their disposal. Bing can identify personal and work-related searches and keep them separate, delivering a protection level unavailable elsewhere within the industry.
Security-wise, Microsoft benefits from the same generation of security and privacy controls as Office 365, which has proven an industry leader. Permissions updates are almost instant which means only content users are cleared to access will be visible in their search results.
For those with admin privileges, Microsoft Search offers advanced analytics and controls. New settings will allow administrators to help end-users with answers and information on a number of topics from benefits and policies to tools and resources.
As specialists in business intranets, at WM Reply we pride ourselves in delivering intuitive and elegant solutions to real-world business problems. If your organisation uses Microsoft technology and requires expert advice you can contact our dedicated team for assistance.