It has become fashionable lately to declare that search is dead. We've disagreed over the years, but to be sure, search technology has changed.

And so we've changed with it. Today, we announce the release of a new evaluation service, The Search & Information Access Report, which represents a total analytical re-work and re-write of vendor reviews, versus what we used to call simply "Enterprise Search."

We take a fresh look at the vendors based on how well they help people get access to information, which is a rather broader, but still quite alluring (and elusive) challenge. Our latest research suggests that buyers are less likely to be looking for one "Enterprise Search" tool that solves all of their information access needs. Rather, many are looking for specific solutions to some very specific problems.

Part of this evolution has to do with you, the buyer. You are less likely to accept that search is somehow "magic." Vendors have responded by opening up (to varying degrees) their "black box" architectures to enable you to construct meaningful search applications.

As always, if you are a full subscriber, you'll receive your full copy shortly. If you're a previous customer, look for an e-mail offering you special pricing. New customers can download a free sample here.