Advantages of a Desktop Search Index

Desktop search has evolved from a nice auxiliary tool into an indispensable component of daily work over the past few years. Increasingly large volumes of data must be processed every day. Nevertheless, the data is often so fragmented that no filing method allows for a complete overview. While Microsoft before Windows Search 4 operated without indexing, Windows Vista already integrated a desktop search with indexing. This transition was not smooth, causing existing desktop search programs such as Google Desktop to grow even more popular. After all, these desktop searches had been using an index for years.

Principle of the Desktop Search Index

Do you want lightning-fast indexing and always have access to the most up-to-date data set?

The greatest advantage over a conventional search lies in the desktop search index. You can imagine how indexing works as follows: In a room, there are 1,000 items. If you now had to search for a specific item without knowing where it is hidden, it could take quite a long time. A conventional search works on this principle. The desktop search index, on the other hand, would correspond to a list recording each individual item in that room along with its location. If you now had to search for one of these items using this list, the process would naturally be significantly faster.

Not Every Desktop Search Is Identical

Nevertheless, desktop searches differ significantly in functionality and, above all, speed. The Windows search is frequently criticized for being simply too slow. Furthermore, like the Google Desktop Search discontinued in 2011, it relies on web-based search, meaning your data is partly sent around the world before you receive your search results. For many companies, such an approach is simply too insecure, especially in today’s climate. Another problem with the standard Windows search is the lack of ability to find files in virtual network environments (VDI). Especially nowadays, as more and more companies rely on hosted desktop environments, a desktop search index must also function within a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure. But even among desktop search programs that meet these requirements, there are significant differences in functionality.

The Most Important Features of the Lookeen Desktop Search

• Searches Microsoft Outlook and Exchange Servers
• Creates a desktop search index at lightning speed
• Desktop search in Windows and across the entire network
• Directly integrable into Outlook (also as a standalone plugin)
• Compatible with virtual desktop environments such as Citrix®, VMware®, and Terminal Server
• Supports all common file and image formats
• No index or data limits
• Clear presentation of search results
• Advanced search queries and filter functions
• Quick view of documents and images in the results window
• Editing documents in preview mode
• Convenient rollout across the entire company
• All data remains stored locally
• Lifetime single-user license
• Free support