People Search Digest

Most discussions of search technology focus on open web searching — engines like Google or Yahoo and how those are being refined and improved. But behind the scenes, under the noses of most consumers, there are huge advances being made in the world of search technology. Consumers may not directly benefit, but it’s always good to be aware of new technology.

A Palo Alto-based startup is launching a product that should advance behind-the-firewall search tech considerably. Paglo has created a crawler that, rather than indexing documents, images, and media on the Internet, actually identifies IT resources within a corporate network and makes the information searchable for all users. IT departments simply have to install an open source program, provided by Paglo, that will send relevant data to Paglo’s servers. It takes mere minutes for a department to set up with Paglo, after which administrators can log in from anywhere to search their network.

Queries can be saved in graph, table, or list form, and displayed in an online dashboard. A built-in community allows users to share tips, advice, and resources with other IT guys from different networks.

Thus far, 800 companies have signed up for the free public beta. If Paglo delivers on its promises, expect that number to grow by leaps and bounds. Come September, Paglo will be available via subscription.