Limitations
While there are numerous benefits to using a Remote Site Search Service (such as no load on your servers and the features mentioned above), there are some drawbacks to consider, as well:
- Your Internet site will be dependent on an outside service. If that service is under peak-period strain of overuse, the response time may be slow.
- Some RSSS providers will have their own features which may not be customizable to the rather special requirements of your intranet system.
- If your data changes frequently (hourly or daily in some cases), the results will not automatically be updated, unless your plan includes frequent updates.
- There is sometimes a limit on capacity where a remote search service has a page limit from 150-5000 pages in their index. If your intranet is larger than that, it might not be entirely searchable. You'll need to evaluate the packages offered by your chosen provider and compare that with the estimated launch size of your intranet site (the number of pages and documents that will exist) and the projected size over the medium and long term. Note that this may substantially affect the cost of this service.
- You must pay a regular fee that is not an investment in your own core technologies.