diff --git a/infra/main.bicep b/infra/main.bicep
index 64820a7d..a94bb90f 100644
--- a/infra/main.bicep
+++ b/infra/main.bicep
@@ -565,7 +565,7 @@ module avmAppConfig 'br/public:avm/res/app-configuration/configuration-store:0.6
       }
       {
         name: 'Application:Services:AzureAISearch:Endpoint'
-        value: 'https://${avmSearchSearchServices.outputs.name}.search.windows.net'
+        value: 'https://${avmSearchSearchServices.name}.search.windows.net'
       }
       {
         name: 'KernelMemory:Services:AzureAIDocIntel:Auth'
@@ -581,7 +581,7 @@ module avmAppConfig 'br/public:avm/res/app-configuration/configuration-store:0.6
       }
       {
         name: 'KernelMemory:Services:AzureAISearch:Endpoint'
-        value: 'https://${avmSearchSearchServices.outputs.name}.search.windows.net'
+        value: 'https://${avmSearchSearchServices.name}.search.windows.net'
       }
       {
         name: 'KernelMemory:Services:AzureBlobs:Account'
@@ -744,8 +744,17 @@ module avmStorageAccount 'br/public:avm/res/storage/storage-account:0.20.0' = {
 
 // ========== AI Foundry: AI Search ========== //
 var aiSearchName = 'srch-${solutionSuffix}'
-module avmSearchSearchServices 'br/public:avm/res/search/search-service:0.11.1' = {
-  name: take('avm.res.cognitive-search-services.${aiSearchName}', 64)
+resource avmSearchSearchServices 'Microsoft.Search/searchServices@2024-06-01-preview' = {
+  name: aiSearchName
+  location: solutionLocation
+  sku: {
+    name: enableScalability ? 'standard' : 'basic'
+  }
+}
+
+// Separate module for Search Service to enable managed identity and update other properties, as this reduces deployment time
+module avmSearchSearchServicesUpdate 'br/public:avm/res/search/search-service:0.11.1' = {
+  name: take('avm.res.search-services-identity.${aiSearchName}', 64)
   params: {
     name: aiSearchName
     tags: tags
@@ -790,6 +799,9 @@ module avmSearchSearchServices 'br/public:avm/res/search/search-service:0.11.1'
         ]
       : []
   }
+  dependsOn: [
+    avmSearchSearchServices
+  ]
 }
 
 // ========== Cognitive Services - OpenAI module ========== //
@@ -1042,7 +1054,7 @@ output AZURE_COGNITIVE_SERVICE_NAME string = documentIntelligence.outputs.name
 output AZURE_COGNITIVE_SERVICE_ENDPOINT string = documentIntelligence.outputs.endpoint
 
 @description('Contains Azure Search Service Name.')
-output AZURE_SEARCH_SERVICE_NAME string = avmSearchSearchServices.outputs.name
+output AZURE_SEARCH_SERVICE_NAME string = avmSearchSearchServices.name
 
 @description('Contains Azure AKS Name.')
 output AZURE_AKS_NAME string = managedCluster.outputs.name
@@ -1060,7 +1072,7 @@ output AZURE_OPENAI_SERVICE_NAME string = avmOpenAi.outputs.name
 output AZURE_OPENAI_SERVICE_ENDPOINT string = avmOpenAi.outputs.endpoint
 
 @description('Contains Azure Search Service Endpoint.')
-output AZ_SEARCH_SERVICE_ENDPOINT string = avmSearchSearchServices.outputs.name
+output AZ_SEARCH_SERVICE_ENDPOINT string = avmSearchSearchServices.name
 
 @description('Contains Azure GPT-4o Model Deployment Name.')
 output AZ_GPT4O_MODEL_ID string = gptModelDeployment.deploymentName
diff --git a/infra/main.json b/infra/main.json
index 74fc6011..85857e3c 100644
--- a/infra/main.json
+++ b/infra/main.json
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@
   "metadata": {
     "_generator": {
       "name": "bicep",
-      "version": "0.36.177.2456",
-      "templateHash": "16347082498493141517"
+      "version": "0.40.2.10011",
+      "templateHash": "8417814553440700358"
     }
   },
   "parameters": {
@@ -302,6 +302,15 @@
         "tags": "[shallowMerge(createArray(resourceGroup().tags, parameters('tags'), createObject('TemplateName', 'DKM', 'Type', if(parameters('enablePrivateNetworking'), 'WAF', 'Non-WAF'), 'CreatedBy', parameters('createdBy'), 'DeploymentName', deployment().name)))]"
       }
     },
+    "avmSearchSearchServices": {
+      "type": "Microsoft.Search/searchServices",
+      "apiVersion": "2024-06-01-preview",
+      "name": "[variables('aiSearchName')]",
+      "location": "[variables('solutionLocation')]",
+      "sku": {
+        "name": "[if(parameters('enableScalability'), 'standard', 'basic')]"
+      }
+    },
     "avmPrivateDnsZones": {
       "copy": {
         "name": "avmPrivateDnsZones",
@@ -311,7 +320,7 @@
       },
       "condition": "[parameters('enablePrivateNetworking')]",
       "type": "Microsoft.Resources/deployments",
-      "apiVersion": "2022-09-01",
+      "apiVersion": "2025-04-01",
       "name": "[format('dns-zone-{0}', copyIndex())]",
       "properties": {
         "expressionEvaluationOptions": {
@@ -3478,7 +3487,7 @@
     "logAnalyticsWorkspace": {
       "condition": "[and(parameters('enableMonitoring'), not(variables('useExistingLogAnalytics')))]",
       "type": "Microsoft.Resources/deployments",
-      "apiVersion": "2022-09-01",
+      "apiVersion": "2025-04-01",
       "name": "[take(format('avm.res.operational-insights.workspace.{0}', variables('logAnalyticsWorkspaceResourceName')), 64)]",
       "properties": {
         "expressionEvaluationOptions": {
@@ -6584,7 +6593,7 @@
     "virtualNetwork": {
       "condition": "[parameters('enablePrivateNetworking')]",
       "type": "Microsoft.Resources/deployments",
-      "apiVersion": "2022-09-01",
+      "apiVersion": "2025-04-01",
       "name": "[take(format('module.virtualNetwork.{0}', variables('solutionSuffix')), 64)]",
       "properties": {
         "expressionEvaluationOptions": {
@@ -6621,8 +6630,8 @@
           "metadata": {
             "_generator": {
               "name": "bicep",
-              "version": "0.36.177.2456",
-              "templateHash": "7116469417351280182"
+              "version": "0.40.2.10011",
+              "templateHash": "5819780095460630914"
             }
           },
           "definitions": {
@@ -7041,7 +7050,7 @@
               },
               "condition": "[not(empty(tryGet(parameters('subnets')[copyIndex()], 'networkSecurityGroup')))]",
               "type": "Microsoft.Resources/deployments",
-              "apiVersion": "2022-09-01",
+              "apiVersion": "2025-04-01",
               "name": "[take(format('avm.res.network.network-security-group.{0}.{1}', tryGet(parameters('subnets')[copyIndex()], 'networkSecurityGroup', 'name'), parameters('resourceSuffix')), 64)]",
               "properties": {
                 "expressionEvaluationOptions": {
@@ -7693,7 +7702,7 @@
             },
             "virtualNetwork": {
               "type": "Microsoft.Resources/deployments",
-              "apiVersion": "2022-09-01",
+              "apiVersion": "2025-04-01",
               "name": "[take(format('avm.res.network.virtual-network.{0}', parameters('name')), 64)]",
               "properties": {
                 "expressionEvaluationOptions": {
@@ -9424,7 +9433,7 @@
     "bastionHost": {
       "condition": "[parameters('enablePrivateNetworking')]",
       "type": "Microsoft.Resources/deployments",
-      "apiVersion": "2022-09-01",
+      "apiVersion": "2025-04-01",
       "name": "[take(format('avm.res.network.bastion-host.{0}', variables('bastionHostName')), 64)]",
       "properties": {
         "expressionEvaluationOptions": {
@@ -10743,7 +10752,7 @@
     "jumpboxVM": {
       "condition": "[parameters('enablePrivateNetworking')]",
       "type": "Microsoft.Resources/deployments",
-      "apiVersion": "2022-09-01",
+      "apiVersion": "2025-04-01",
       "name": "[take(format('avm.res.compute.virtual-machine.{0}', variables('jumpboxVmName')), 64)]",
       "properties": {
         "expressionEvaluationOptions": {
@@ -19086,7 +19095,7 @@
     },
     "userAssignedIdentity": {
       "type": "Microsoft.Resources/deployments",
-      "apiVersion": "2022-09-01",
+      "apiVersion": "2025-04-01",
       "name": "[take(format('avm.res.managed-identity.user-assigned-identity.{0}', variables('userAssignedIdentityResourceName')), 64)]",
       "properties": {
         "expressionEvaluationOptions": {
@@ -19568,7 +19577,7 @@
     },
     "avmContainerRegistry": {
       "type": "Microsoft.Resources/deployments",
-      "apiVersion": "2022-09-01",
+      "apiVersion": "2025-04-01",
       "name": "[format('avmContainerRegistry-{0}', uniqueString('avmContainerRegistry', deployment().name))]",
       "properties": {
         "expressionEvaluationOptions": {
@@ -19611,8 +19620,8 @@
           "metadata": {
             "_generator": {
               "name": "bicep",
-              "version": "0.36.177.2456",
-              "templateHash": "11092248228709008584"
+              "version": "0.40.2.10011",
+              "templateHash": "11752366541769527004"
             },
             "name": "Container Registry Module"
           },
@@ -19748,7 +19757,7 @@
           "resources": {
             "avmContainerRegistry": {
               "type": "Microsoft.Resources/deployments",
-              "apiVersion": "2022-09-01",
+              "apiVersion": "2025-04-01",
               "name": "[parameters('acrName')]",
               "properties": {
                 "expressionEvaluationOptions": {
@@ -22817,7 +22826,7 @@
     },
     "avmCosmosDB": {
       "type": "Microsoft.Resources/deployments",
-      "apiVersion": "2022-09-01",
+      "apiVersion": "2025-04-01",
       "name": "[take(format('avm.res.cosmos-{0}', variables('solutionSuffix')), 64)]",
       "properties": {
         "expressionEvaluationOptions": {
@@ -26651,7 +26660,7 @@
     },
     "avmAppConfig": {
       "type": "Microsoft.Resources/deployments",
-      "apiVersion": "2022-09-01",
+      "apiVersion": "2025-04-01",
       "name": "[take(format('avm.res.app-configuration.configuration-store.{0}', variables('appConfigName')), 64)]",
       "properties": {
         "expressionEvaluationOptions": {
@@ -26723,11 +26732,11 @@
               },
               {
                 "name": "Application:Services:PersistentStorage:CosmosMongo:ConnectionString",
-                "value": "[listOutputsWithSecureValues('avmCosmosDB', '2022-09-01').primaryReadWriteConnectionString]"
+                "value": "[listOutputsWithSecureValues('avmCosmosDB', '2025-04-01').primaryReadWriteConnectionString]"
               },
               {
                 "name": "Application:Services:AzureAISearch:Endpoint",
-                "value": "[format('https://{0}.search.windows.net', reference('avmSearchSearchServices').outputs.name.value)]"
+                "value": "[format('https://{0}.search.windows.net', variables('aiSearchName'))]"
               },
               {
                 "name": "KernelMemory:Services:AzureAIDocIntel:Auth",
@@ -26743,7 +26752,7 @@
               },
               {
                 "name": "KernelMemory:Services:AzureAISearch:Endpoint",
-                "value": "[format('https://{0}.search.windows.net', reference('avmSearchSearchServices').outputs.name.value)]"
+                "value": "[format('https://{0}.search.windows.net', variables('aiSearchName'))]"
               },
               {
                 "name": "KernelMemory:Services:AzureBlobs:Account",
@@ -28780,7 +28789,7 @@
     "avmAppConfigUpdated": {
       "condition": "[parameters('enablePrivateNetworking')]",
       "type": "Microsoft.Resources/deployments",
-      "apiVersion": "2022-09-01",
+      "apiVersion": "2025-04-01",
       "name": "[take(format('avm.res.app-configuration.configuration-store-update.{0}', variables('appConfigName')), 64)]",
       "properties": {
         "expressionEvaluationOptions": {
@@ -30795,7 +30804,7 @@
     },
     "avmStorageAccount": {
       "type": "Microsoft.Resources/deployments",
-      "apiVersion": "2022-09-01",
+      "apiVersion": "2025-04-01",
       "name": "[take(format('avm.res.storage.storage-account.{0}', variables('storageAccountName')), 64)]",
       "properties": {
         "expressionEvaluationOptions": {
@@ -36558,10 +36567,10 @@
         "virtualNetwork"
       ]
     },
-    "avmSearchSearchServices": {
+    "avmSearchSearchServicesUpdate": {
       "type": "Microsoft.Resources/deployments",
-      "apiVersion": "2022-09-01",
-      "name": "[take(format('avm.res.cognitive-search-services.{0}', variables('aiSearchName')), 64)]",
+      "apiVersion": "2025-04-01",
+      "name": "[take(format('avm.res.search-services-identity.{0}', variables('aiSearchName')), 64)]",
       "properties": {
         "expressionEvaluationOptions": {
           "scope": "inner"
@@ -38905,6 +38914,7 @@
       },
       "dependsOn": [
         "[format('avmPrivateDnsZones[{0}]', variables('dnsZoneIndex').search)]",
+        "avmSearchSearchServices",
         "logAnalyticsWorkspace",
         "userAssignedIdentity",
         "virtualNetwork"
@@ -38912,7 +38922,7 @@
     },
     "avmOpenAi": {
       "type": "Microsoft.Resources/deployments",
-      "apiVersion": "2022-09-01",
+      "apiVersion": "2025-04-01",
       "name": "[take(format('avm.res.cognitiveservices.account.{0}', variables('openAiAccountName')), 64)]",
       "properties": {
         "expressionEvaluationOptions": {
@@ -41511,7 +41521,7 @@
     },
     "documentIntelligence": {
       "type": "Microsoft.Resources/deployments",
-      "apiVersion": "2022-09-01",
+      "apiVersion": "2025-04-01",
       "name": "[take(format('avm.res.cognitiveservices.account.{0}', variables('docIntelAccountName')), 64)]",
       "properties": {
         "expressionEvaluationOptions": {
@@ -44099,7 +44109,7 @@
     },
     "managedCluster": {
       "type": "Microsoft.Resources/deployments",
-      "apiVersion": "2022-09-01",
+      "apiVersion": "2025-04-01",
       "name": "[take(format('avm.res.container-service.managed-cluster.aks-{0}', variables('solutionSuffix')), 64)]",
       "properties": {
         "expressionEvaluationOptions": {
@@ -47436,7 +47446,7 @@
     "applicationInsights": {
       "condition": "[parameters('enableMonitoring')]",
       "type": "Microsoft.Resources/deployments",
-      "apiVersion": "2022-09-01",
+      "apiVersion": "2025-04-01",
       "name": "[take(format('avm.res.insights.component.{0}', variables('applicationInsightsResourceName')), 64)]",
       "properties": {
         "expressionEvaluationOptions": {
@@ -48248,7 +48258,7 @@
       "metadata": {
         "description": "Contains Azure Search Service Name."
       },
-      "value": "[reference('avmSearchSearchServices').outputs.name.value]"
+      "value": "[variables('aiSearchName')]"
     },
     "AZURE_AKS_NAME": {
       "type": "string",
@@ -48290,7 +48300,7 @@
       "metadata": {
         "description": "Contains Azure Search Service Endpoint."
       },
-      "value": "[reference('avmSearchSearchServices').outputs.name.value]"
+      "value": "[variables('aiSearchName')]"
     },
     "AZ_GPT4O_MODEL_ID": {
       "type": "string",