In July 2007, Microsoft worked with Fast Search & Transfer (also known as FAST) to improve the search in SharePoint Server 2007. The collaboration was so successful that on January 8, 2008, the software giant announced a cash tender offer for the company valued at 6.6 billion NOK (or approximately US$1.2 billion).
The transaction was recently completed and Microsoft is now beginning to put its plans into action. FAST, which will operate as a Microsoft subsidiary, provides enterprise search solutions. The enterprise search team will be working on Microsoft Search Server 2008 Express, search for Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and FAST ESP, and the future delivery of a single enterprise search platform.
The acquisition also increases Microsoft's research and development presence in Europe, including in Cambridge, England; Copenhagen, Denmark; and in Norway. Jeff Teper, corporate vice president for the Office Business Platform at Microsoft, expressed his thoughts on the successful completion of the acquisition.
"With our companies combined," he said, "we’ll be uniquely able to offer customers what they’ve been telling us they want most — a strategy for meeting everything from their basic to most complex enterprise search needs. I’m incredibly excited to have the talented team from FAST joining us."
FAST's people won't only be joining Microsoft—they'll be appointed to high positions. For example, John Markus Lervik (currently FAST's CEO) will become Microsoft's corporate vice president of Enterprise Search, reporting to Teper. FAST offered some of its search services on Linux and Unix and Microsoft says that it will continue to innovate enterprise search solutions on Linux and Unix, in addition to Windows. Don't expect to see SharePoint Server 2007 being ported to Linux, though.
Further reading:
- Microsoft: Press Release
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