Government introduces a new and improved search engine

A faster more accurate search engine is now available for searching information and documents on Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Web sites.

The search engine allows for searches of multiple government Web servers as opposed to only the main server, and the results are returned within fractions of a second. The government-wide project benefits all departments and users of the sites.

The search engine can be found on the government Web page at www.gov.nl.ca/

"The improved search engine allows searchers to literally find a needle in a hay stack," Government Services Minister Dianne Whalen said. "The hay stack in this case is the government servers. Searchers will notice a significant difference."

The search engine project is a joint effort between the Department of Government Services and the Information Protection and Infrastructure Program of Treasury Board.

The need for improved search services was identified within the Department of Government Services three years ago. The department�s Web team embarked on a pilot project to find a better search engine for all of government, keeping in mind that more than half of Web users prefer searching key words rather than following links. They selected the most cost-effective search engine that met the government�s minimum requirements, and tested it on the departmental site.

The search engine has just been officially launched across most government sites. Others sites will be added over time. Searchers will find a significant improvement in the accuracy and scope of the search, and in the suggestions for alternate spellings for the words searched. Searches can be limited to specific topics such as news releases or publications.

The new search engine searches up to a quarter of a million documents, and has the ability to search documents in many formats, not just Web pages. The improved search capability is consistent with government�s commitment to enhancing on-line accessibility of government information and services.

Media contact: Tracy Barron, Communications, (709) 729-4860 or 690-6157.

2004 07 30                                         9:30 a.m.