Solr is an open source text search index and tool that allows users to create customizable search solutions. It is highly configurable and allows search results to be tuned, unlike some other search products that do not allow configuration. The presenter is giving a talk on Solr because they took a course on it from LucidWorks and are presenting on behalf of FindWise, a search specialist company that uses various search engines including Solr. When building a Solr solution, the general approach involves designing the schema, prototyping to test indexing and searching, and integrating Solr with other systems for ingestion and presentation.