Three months ago, Microsoft announced three projects they were working on to enhance the search experience. One of those projects, SearchTogether, has been launched into beta. SearchTogether is a free Internet Explorer plugin that allows groups to collaborate on search. The plugin displays a sidebar in the IE Browser and features:
- Group query histories
- Split searching
- Page-level rating and commenting
- Automatically-generated shared summaries
- Peek-and-follow browsing
- Integrated chat
Here are some ideas from Microsoft on how to use the plugin:
- Business colleagues can perform joint research and share information on projects.
- Students can likewise collaborate on group reports and assignments.
- Friends often work together to find entertainment opportunities or housing.
- Families can SearchTogether to jointly plan vacations or find medical information for a loved one
What do you think of the plugin? Are you going to give it a try? Let us know in the comments.