The Google search engine is being implemented into the university's Web site in two phases. A beta version of Google will be available immediately on Ball State's homepage to give visitors to the site the opportunity to try it while University Computing Services (UCS) and the Office of University Communications work on phase two, developing and integrating the full version of Google into the Web site.

By clicking on a comments link on the Google search page, users can offer feedback about their experience with the new search engine, which will help during the full implementation of the project. The current search engine, Autonomy, will continue to be available until it is replaced by the full version of Google.

Kyle Parker, UCS distributed systems programmer, says the initial push to use Google came from feedback the university received regarding the quality of results the current search engine generated.

"Many people had been searching Google's Web site to find information about Ball State rather than using our own internal search engine," he said. "People want complete and accurate search results that our use of Google will be able to produce more effectively."

As an example, if a prospective student entered the word "dorms" into the current search engine, the results would indicate there is no department matching the inquiry. When the same search is done using the university's new Google search engine, the first result listed is for Ball State University Housing and Residence Life. In addition to users getting a more complete and precise search result, the new search engine will also carry spelling and synonyms features and advanced search capabilities familiar to Google users.

Ball State purchased a two-year licensing model from Google for $40,000. This agreement gives the university support and upgrades from Google for two years, as well as the ability to index one million documents into the search engine. After the licensing model expires, Ball State will have the option to renew the agreement or continue running the hardware and software in an unsupported environment. 

To access the beta version of the Google search engine, go to www.bsu.edu/google.

(Note to editors: For more information, contact Parker at kyleparker@bsu.edu or (765) 748-7493, or Nancy Prater at nprater@bsu.edu or (765) 285-3220.)