Information workers continue to report spending 30-50% of their time searching for information. Desktop search can be a valuable tool for knowledge workers, especially those who frequently work remotely and offline.

When free desktop search tools were introduced, they posed numerous security and privacy concerns. For more information, refer to the Info-Tech Advisor research note, "Google Desktop a Serious Security Risk." Many vendors have now revised their desktop search products, or released enterprise versions. Now more enterprise-friendly and offering improved centralized application deployment and support for standard configurations, the new tools more clearly identify potential security risks in their documentation.