MarkLogic this week announced the release of MarkLogic Server 4.1. The big news though, was a set of tools they've created called Applications Services 1.0 which includes three main components: MarkLogic Application Builder, MarkLogic Search API and MarkLogic Library Services API. By giving customers access to these three elements, it provides a way for them to build applications on top of the search repository rather easily. This is something that other vendors have started doing recently including the latest release of Endeca [1].

Using the application builder component, customers need only build a database of content on the MarkLogic server product. They can then access and use that content in ways that best suit their requirement. The Application Builder is a wizard-like interface that walks users through the entire process of building an application without any coding whatsoever (although you could build a customized CSS for the look and feel of the application if you want to). This video from Mark Logic explains how it's done.

This type of simplicity puts the ability to build applications within reach of just about anyone with sufficient training. Dave Kellog, MarkLogic CEO sees this as a shift in the way enterprises build and deploy content-centric applications. “By making it easier than ever before for customers to develop information-centric applications, MarkLogic Application Services 1.0 supersedes traditional technologies and ushers in a new era for unlocking content,” said Kellog.

Lyn Robison, vice president & research director of data management strategies at Burton Group Inc believes this technology has the potential to break down data silos to give users quick access to information wherever it is. “Providing the ability to quickly build information-based applications that reach beyond the boundaries of data silos and revolutionize information delivery, the release of Application Services 1.0 is the newest remedy for the needs of enterprise IT,” said Robison.

Search, it seems, is becoming more than an out-of-the-box solution that you tune once and basically leave alone. Tools like these from MarkLogic are giving end users greater control over how they access and use information and that's an exciting leap forward for enterprise search.

For more information:
- see The MarkLogic Server 4.1 press release
[2]- and the MarkLogic Application Services 1.0 press release [3]

Related Articles:
How effective is enterprise search? [4]
Endeca releases faster, more flexible search engine [5]