A web browser to accelerate migration to the Cloud

Today, two worlds confront each other on the enterprise desktop. The old world is that of heavy-duty applications developed to take advantage of increasingly powerful desktop PCs. The New World is the world of the web, internet protocols and standards, open applications, mobile devices and access anywhere.

In the old world, the operating system is central; as the OS evolves, applications must adapt. In the New World the web browser is central, and maximizing the flexibility and agility promised by the Cloud will depend on the extent to which the web browser can evolve to fulfill its role as an integral element of the enterprise IT infrastructure, independent of operating systems and end-user platforms. 

Too many organizations treat the browser as just another application. They’re making a serious mistake. 

As online services multiply, the need to support more and more web technologies and access methods in the browser is leading to compatibility issues for the end-user and security vulnerabilities for the enterprise. 

The old world of computing with its traditional application deployment models computing model tries to adapt the consumer-driven browser to the enterprise by patching it. The new web-based world needs a more permanent solution: an enterprise browser, the cornerstone of the business user’s applications environment.

As the number of web-based applications continues to grow, how does the enterprise ensure that the savings made in migrating infrastructure to the cloud are not lost in the costs of effectively managing and supporting end-user access to services?

The requirements of an enterprise browsing solution are completely different to those of a mass-market web browser. The consumer-focused browser is designed to be open, downloading and installing updates and plugins on the fly with minimal user intervention, with shorter and shorter upgrade cycles. It’s inherently unstable. An enterprise browser ensures a stable environment to deliver guaranteed levels of security and quality of service across the enterprise, whether the user is accessing new services built on the latest web technologies or legacy applications reliant on browser versions and plugins long left behind in the consumer market.