IBM has announced a new plug-in for its enterprise search technology that will allow it to integrate with Google Desktop for Enterprise, a free downloadable application that enables companies to provide employees with the ability to search for information on their computer.

This announcement will enable customers using IBM WebSphere Information Integrator OmniFind Edition to search and retrieve various types of content located on their personal computer using the Google Desktop for Enterprise interface. WebSphere Information Integrator OmniFind Edition already provides search across large volumes of information distributed throughout the enterprise, such as in databases and other applications to retrieve information on demand.

"Google Desktop for Enterprise helps users navigate the growing sea of information on their PC, including their overflowing inbox, documents, presentations, PDF files, and web pages they've visited," said Dave Girouard, general manager, Google Enterprise. "We're pleased IBM is integrating its search solution with Google Desktop for Enterprise, enabling its customers to use multiple software solutions to reach a broader set of enterprise data sources."

Earlier this year, Google announced that Google Desktop for Enterprise can search the full text of IBM Lotus Notes mail messages stored on a user's local computer. This feature provides Lotus Notes customers the capability to search all Lotus Notes databases and mail servers in addition to local mail files.

IBM's enterprise search technology enables users to access information distributed in sources across the enterprise, from content management systems (such as IBM DB2 Content Manager, EMC Documentum and FileNet) to relational databases (such as IBM DB2 Universal Database, Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server) and other enterprise applications. This integration extends the reach of WebSphere Information Integrator OmniFind Edition by using the Google Desktop for Enterprise interface to find information on users' PCs.

"With this announcement, we are providing IBM enterprise search customers additional tools to help them more easily find information wherever it is, now including the desktop," said Jon Prial, vice president, content management and discovery, IBM. "WebSphere Information Integrator OmniFind Edition is the first mainstream, enterprise scale solution that enables users to search based on concepts and facts, not just keywords, to find the exact information they are looking for across the enterprise. This, coupled with Google Desktop for Enterprise, creates a powerful search combination across the desktop and a variety of enterprise sources."