This IDC study provides an estimate of the size of the search and discovery software market in 2011 and a forecast for the growth of the market through 2016.

"The search and discovery software market grew at 8.8% in 2011, which was 3.2% better than IDC's previous-year forecast, resulting in an overall software license revenue total of $2.5 billion for the calendar year. The market growth rate in 2011 has recovered from its dramatic decline during the recession-impacted spending climate of 2009–2010, when the growth rate itself dropped from just under 20% to approximately 6%," says David Schubmehl, research manager, Search and Discovery Technologies. "We expect overall market growth to continue in the mid-single-digit range through 2016. From a growth rate as well as a go-to-market perspective, the market will be split into two segments: a slow- or no-growth segment consisting primarily of traditional enterprise search offerings and a new high-growth segment consisting of unified information access platforms and the InfoApps (information applications) built on them that are focused on particular business domains."