Google Launches Google Search Appliance and Google Mini in Australia and New Zealand

WebKnowHow
Friday, June 23, 2006; 07:53 AM

Google Inc. announced the availability of the Google Search Appliance and Google Mini for customers in Australia and New Zealand. Local businesses and organisations can now utilize Google's search technology to search across their internal content, including company intranet, databases, business applications and public websites.

Additionally, Google announced the appointment of ChannelWorx as the distributor for Google Enterprise products in Australia and New Zealand and a partnership with BearingPoint to launch a Search Solutions Practice for enterprise customers in the region.

"The Google Search Appliance enables businesses to quickly and easily search for information behind their firewall, all while using the simple Google interface," said Dave Girouard, vice president and general manager, Enterprise, Google Inc.  "Through our relationship with ChannelWorx and BearingPoint, we're able to offer a full suite of enterprise solutions to companies and organisations in the Australian and New Zealand markets."

With the new Google OneBox for Enterprise feature of the Google Search Appliance, employees can also access relevant, real-time information from enterprise sources, such as CRM, ERP and business intelligence systems.

The Google Search Appliance can index millions of documents, and its security features ensure that users can only search the information that they have permission to view. The Google Search Appliance starts at AUD$74,486 (MSRP) to search up to 500,000 documents.

The Google Mini is designed for website and departmental search or to enable smaller businesses to add Google search to their corporate networks. With plug-and-play simplicity, Google Mini can be set up in under an hour and requires minimal ongoing administration.

The Mini comes in multiple versions. The most affordable Mini searches up to 50,000 documents for AUD$4,965 (MSRP) – including all hardware, software and a year of support. Additional versions search up to 100,000, 200,000 or 300,000 documents.

"There is a high level of interest from customers and resellers for Google's Enterprise products," said Paul Oxley, Sales & Marketing Director, ChannelWorx. "We will be working closely with Google to support the reseller channel and make it easy for customers to add Google search to their business information."

"We have seen the success of these appliances in the U.S. market, and we welcome the opportunity to assist clients in this region to harness the value of their information asset," added Rob Hillard, Managing Director (Partner), Data and Knowledge Management, BearingPoint.

Google's enterprise business grew more than 100 per cent last year, and currently has more than 4,000 customers worldwide.