FAST drops Linux & Unix support – no surprise?

Last week we heard from various sources that Microsoft had announced they would only be continuing to develop its recently acquired FAST Search technology on Windows. This had long been feared by some in the sector, and it must be worrying for existing customers.

Platform choice can be a key issue for those looking to implement advanced search, as there may be significant existing in-house expertise and investment in a particular platform. Our Flax solution works just as well on Windows, Linux or Solaris. It’s sad to see such a powerful technology as FAST become so narrow in focus, but it’s not particularly surprising after the Microsoft acquisition.

UPDATE: more coverage on this from The Register