Microsoft To Google: Mine's Better. Or Will Be.

Google fired another volley in the search wars Thursday with a new, lower-end Mini appliance. This one targets smaller companies with up to 50K documents. Previous Minis serviced firms with 100K, 200K, and 300K documents. The new mini-Mini costs just under two grand, including a year of support.

Google is accelerating its push into businesses, with planned realtime search of ERP, supply chain apps, and other data troves and a partnership with BearingPoint.

(Never one to be left out, Oracle launched its own foray into enterprise search Wednesday.)

Microsoft insiders say Redmond's continuing obsession with Google remains almost fetishistic. Maybe it will lessen along with Google's share prices, but so far that hasn't happened.

One Microsoftie says employees are encouraged to use an internal "great search-off" site that compares their personal search results from MSN and Google. Yahoo is nowhere in sight in that world view. That's surprising since many, including this typist, find Yahoo search more helpful nearly all the time, than either MSN or Google.

Says this insider, tongue firmly in cheek: "Yahoo isnt' a serious competitor apparently. The only other company in the tech industry is Google. Right?"

Microsoft, unsurprisingly, remains adamant that it will win in search, both inside the firewall and out. And, if you don't believe them, just ask them.

The biggest of the big Microsoft wigs, Bill Gates, has said for some time that Microsoft search is already a major contender.

For the full CRN interview click here.