There are some significant differences between Web search and so-called enterprise search technology. In consumer searches, the popularity of a Web page, for example, is an important factor in determining its relevance, while popularity tends to be less important in ranking corporate information sources.

In a conference call, Jeff Raikes, president of Microsoft’s business division, which includes Office, declined to discuss any specific plans for Fast before its shareholders vote on the friendly offer. But he said the two companies have talked about how elements of Fast’s technology might be used in Microsoft’s Web search.

“Absolutely, we were excited by the great team and the great work done at Fast,” Mr. Raikes said.

Google does compete in the enterprise search market with specialized software packaged in a slender server computer, called the Google Search Appliance. And Microsoft sees enterprise search as a promising new market where it wants to get a leg up on Google and other rivals.

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“With this acquisition, we are the clear leader in enterprise search,” Mr. Raikes said.

The Microsoft move also comes at a time when Google has begun to go after the corporate market with a package of online alternatives to Microsoft’s Office products.

The search giant’s offerings, called Google Apps, include Web-based e-mail, word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software at no charge or, with technical support, for $50 a user each year — a fraction of the cost of Microsoft’s desktop products.

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The Microsoft strategy, analysts say, is to add new technology and features to Office, which dominates the market for productivity programs. The company is increasingly moving to make the popular Office products a familiar dashboard used by corporate workers to do all kinds of tasks.

Microsoft has already offered enterprise search with SharePoint, a product in the Office family that lets groups of workers collaborate. And Microsoft has had a partnership with Fast for providing enterprise search.

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But by purchasing Fast, Microsoft can more fully integrate the Norwegian company’s technology into its Office technology. Mr. Raikes pointed to the advantage of having “a single vendor with solutions that span the full range of customer needs.”

In a statement, John Lervik, the chief executive of Fast, welcomed the Microsoft bid, which represents a 40 percent premium over the closing price of Fast’s shares on Monday. Fast’s clients include Reuters, the United States Army, Fidelity Investments and America Online.

Mr. Lervik said the Microsoft purchase “validates Fast’s momentum and leadership in enterprise search.”

Industry analysts viewed the planned Fast purchase as a logical step for Microsoft’s big Office business, but one with an uncertain impact on its wider rivalry with Google.

“This is mainly about enterprise search and Microsoft’s strategy for expanding and defending its Office business,” said David M. Smith, an analyst at Gartner. “How the acquisition fits into Microsoft’s larger search strategy is a bigger question.”

The bid sent shares of Fast’s publicly traded competitors soaring. Mike Davis, an analyst at the research firm Ovum in London, said it could herald a wave of takeovers of similar companies like Endeca of Cambridge, Mass., which is privately owned, and Autonomy of Britain.