Enterprise:EnterpriseBrowsersWhitePaper

This is a work in progress

Authors

Yuriy Krylov

Introduction

Web browsers are the unsung heroes of an enterprise environment. Usually unnoticed in favor of the content and applications they host, they have silently established unquestioned status as a core, mission-critical application on every desktop. Notably, a knowledge worker spends so much time in a web browser, that productivity-driven efforts to personalize the end-user experience have steadily pushed the Browser to a Development Platform status. In fact, when speaking about its ever-popular Firefox, Mozilla explains the architecture of the Browser as "built on top of the Mozilla Platform". IE closely follows suit.

As a Development Platform, the Browser is well positioned to be an influential player in the desktop productivity arena, bridging the gap between the "out there" internet, and the "in here" desktop. Still, with all the hype and expectations, institutions and enterprises continue to struggle with the basics of management and security. And so, the Knowledge Worker ultimately pays this price.

The good news is that vendors are starting to take notice. Yet, the critical mass driving enterprise requirements is just not there. It will take a coordinated effort by enterprise-scale and innovative market makers to shape the Browser as The Killer Application for Enterprise.