What is the best expert locator software (knowledge management tool) for large 
knowledge-intensive enterprises?

Hi,

The answer to your question, "Which knowledge management software is best?", 
depends on many factors, including the number of users, the types of documents 
you need to manage, the type of technology you need (server-side, 
client/server, etc.), whether you need multi-site capability, archiving 
capability, secure access, how much customization you can do, etc.

A good list to start with is provided by the KM World website ( 
http://www.kmworld.com ).

KM World: 100 companies that matter in knowledge management
http://www.kmworld.com/100.cfm

It includes BEA Systems, Business Objects, BroadVision, Cognos, Epicentric, 
Interwoven, and other famous names.

They also have a list of "Top Technology Companies" at:

http://www.kmworld.com/publications/magazine/index.cfm?
action=readarticle&article_id=406&publication_id=1  

This list has brief reviews of Documentum and Open Text, FileNet, Grapevine, 
Excalibur, and others.

Many awards have been established in the KM field. Here are just a few award 
lists:

Microsoft Industry Solution Awards 2000
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2000/Nov00/ISA2000finalistsPR.asp

Names BookMarkEDMS, Plumtree, DioWeb Search as the three winners in the KM 
field.

Elan conferences: Information Management Awards 2001
http://www.elanconf.co.uk/im2001winners.shtml 
Mentions Plumtree, ICL, Arup, openshare Knowledge Framework, Interwoven, and 
others.
 
2001 RealWare Awards
http://www.realwareawards.com/2001/2001winners_pressrelease.shtml 
Includes Documentum, Eprise, EMC, Datawatch, Epicentric, n-quire, and others.

"DM Review" magazine awards
http://www.dmreview.com/master.cfm?NavID=40

2001 award winners include IBM, Cognos, Experian, ProClarity, Business Objects, 
BroadVision, etc.

A content management newsgroup search for "best software" uncovered a thread 
entitled
"Looking for Document Management Technologies", where people have recommended  
Tower's TRIM, Select Technologies' Extempore, Cuadra's Star, and others. See:

http://groups.google.com/groups?
q=best+software+group:comp.doc.management&hl=en&selm=8ptc85%24u5i%241%
40s1.read.news.oleane.net&rnum=2 

Google has a solution too:

Google Knowledge Management Solution
://www.google.com/appliance/ 

Other useful links:

Google Directory: Knowledge Management Software and Tools
http://directory.google.com/Top/Reference/Knowledge_Management/Software_and_Tool
s/

WWW Virtual Library on Knowledge Management
http://www.brint.com/km/ 

IT Toolbox: Knowledge Management
http://knowledgemanagement.ittoolbox.com/

Construction IT: KM links
http://cic.vtt.fi/links/km.html

Knowledge Management Benchmarking Association
http://kmba.org/ 

Destination CRM: past issues of the Knowledge Management magazine
http://www.destinationcrm.com/km/dcrm_km_past.asp 
(search for "awards", "reviews" and "comparison")

Linux ISP Content Management Software Comparison
http://www.linuxisp.com/compare/content-management.html 

Sourceforge.org
http://www.sourceforge.org 
(do a search for "knowledge management")

Useful Google searches:

knowledge OR document OR content management software compare OR comparison OR 
compared OR comparing
://www.google.com/search?
hl=en&q=knowledge+OR+document+OR+content+management+software+compare+OR+comparis
on+OR+compared+OR+comparing 

knowledge OR document OR content management software review OR reviews

://www.google.com/search?
hl=en&q=knowledge+OR+document+OR+content+management+software+review+OR+reviews 

knowledge OR document OR content management software award OR awards

://www.google.com/search?
hl=en&q=knowledge+OR+document+OR+content+management+software+award+OR+awards 

best "knowledge management"

://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=best+%22knowledge+management%22

best software group:comp.doc.management

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&q=best+software+group%
3Acomp.doc.management&btnG=Google+Search

If you already have Lotus Notes internally, I would look at lotus quickplace
Here is a demo
http://quickplacetrial.lotus.com/

Try Enterprise version of the brain.
http://www.thebrain.com

Jnana is another great company with an platform well suited to deploying large 
expert and KM applications: www.jnana.com.

Cartagio - Transforming Research into Knowledge
www.missiontrek.com

try ENFISH (there are 3 versions, if you are on a network you ill need the PRO 
TRACKER) 
free 30 day trials at www.enfish.com

I won't pretend to know the best solution. But, you did ask about an "expert 
locator". It all depends on what data sources you want to mine to find the 
experts. If your enterprise's knowledge transfer mechanism includes (and 
relies upon) your corporate e-mail system, then you might want to consider a 
product such as "KnowledgeMail", 
http://www.tacit.com/products/knowledgemail.html , by Tacit Knowledge Systems, 
http://www.tacit.com/index.html 

I haven't looked at them in a couple of years, but I was impressed with the 
capabilities; they can only be greater now.