Spotlight

Report:

The Forrester Wave™: Cognitive Search Platforms, Q4 2023

How does Forrester define the Cognitive Search Platforms market in 2023?

The cognitive search market has experienced a surge in interest driven by generative AI (genAI). Cognitive search platforms were early adopters of technologies underlying genAI applications, such as large language models (LLMs) and vector databases, predating ChatGPT's release. The market now faces an explosion in demand as customers seek search-driven applications embedded everywhere. Discerning buyers should seek platforms that provide a composite approach to indexing and searching, enable deep understanding of user intent and data relevancy, and offer strong data pipelines with robust connectors to diverse data sources. The evaluation identifies Leaders, Strong Performers, and Contenders among 14 providers based on 27 criteria.

Key Facts for The Forrester Wave™: Cognitive Search Platforms, Q4 2023 in 2023

How did the Cognitive Search Platforms market evolve in 2023?

What product features are required to be included in this year's evaluation?

What are the common features of top products in the Cognitive Search Platforms space?

No common features specified.

Scope Exclusions

Inclusion Criteria

Vendors must, among other requirements:

Offering Strengths — Relative Weighting

Strategy Strength — Relative Weighting

FAQs

Q: What does this research cover?

A: This research covers a 27-criterion evaluation of the most significant cognitive search platform providers in the market. It analyzes how each vendor measures up across current offering (data, intelligence, development, end user, scope, operations, architecture), strategy (vision, innovation, roadmap, partner ecosystem, adoption, pricing flexibility), and market presence (revenue, customer count). The evaluation includes 14 vendors categorized as Leaders, Strong Performers, and Contenders.

Q: Who should use this research?

A: This research should be used by search teams, knowledge management professionals, and application development professionals who are selecting a cognitive search platform for their needs. It helps buyers understand vendor positioning, strengths, weaknesses, and best-fit use cases. The customizable Excel-based comparison tool allows buyers to adapt criteria weightings to their specific requirements when evaluating vendors.

Q: What are the mandatory features of vendors included in this market?

A: Vendors must position themselves as cognitive search or enterprise search platforms, provide a comprehensive platform capable of connecting and indexing a wide variety of data sources with robust controls for refining relevance and accuracy, deliver information through multimodal results (documents, maps, graphs, summaries), and have annual revenue of at least $10M or over $100M in venture capital investment.

Q: What are some reasons for not being included in this report?

A:

  • Not positioning as a cognitive search or enterprise search platform in market coverage
  • Lacking comprehensive platform capabilities for diverse data source connectivity and indexing
  • Insufficient controls for search query refinement and relevance targeting
  • Limited to single-modality result delivery without multimodal capabilities
  • Annual revenue below $10M threshold without sufficient venture capital investment ($100M+)
  • Declining to participate in the evaluation process
  • Only partial participation in the evaluation methodology

Q: What should buyers consider when evaluating products in this market?

A:

  • Composite approach to indexing and searching utilizing NLP, vector databases, LLMs, knowledge graphs, and lexical/keyword search
  • Deep understanding of user intent using both static aspects (job function, security access) and dynamic aspects (physical location, recent searches)
  • Relevancy of data delivery in formats most useful to users (graphs, timelines, chat interactions, narratives, summarizations)
  • Strong data pipelines and robust connectors to wide variety of enterprise data sources and formats
  • Degree of granularity and data indexing capabilities, including need for custom development
  • Specialized data needs for specific industries (pharmaceuticals, healthcare, manufacturing)
  • Integration capabilities with enterprise ecosystems (CRM applications, Salesforce, ServiceNow, Snowflake)
  • Platform accessibility for technical versus business users
  • GenAI roadmap and LLM integration capabilities
  • Security certifications and data protection standards
  • Vendor support and professional services requirements

Q: How has the Cognitive Search Platforms market evolved in 2023?

A:

  • Surge in interest driven by generative AI (genAI) and ChatGPT
  • Explosion in demand for search-driven applications embedded everywhere
  • Increasing number of vendors rebranding themselves as cognitive search providers
  • Integration of large language models (LLMs) and vector databases into search platforms
  • Expansion of technologies including natural language processing (NLP), knowledge graphs, and hybrid search approaches
  • Growing emphasis on retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) capabilities
  • Shift toward making platforms more accessible to business users and less technical professionals
  • Focus on delivering knowledge through multiple modalities including chat interactions, narratives, and content summarization

Q: What differentiates Strength of Offering vs. Strength of Strategy?

A: Current Offering (vertical axis) evaluates the strength of vendors' existing products and capabilities across data handling, intelligence, development tools, end-user experience, scope, operations, and architecture. Strategy (horizontal axis) assesses vendors' future direction and market approach, including their vision, innovation capabilities, product roadmap, partner ecosystem, market adoption, and pricing transparency. Current Offering focuses on what vendors can deliver today, while Strategy examines their positioning and plans for future market success.

Reference

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