Internet browsers are getting a makeover for the workplace

Designed and built originally for consumers, browsers can now connect to an array of workplace applications, from customer relationship management software to videoconferencing. 

But getting apps secured and ready to run on a commercial browser can take a lot of time, dollars and complexity, often involving virtual private networks or virtual desktop setups, that sometimes sacrifice user experience for security.

“It could be a considerable lift to get there," said Brian Coleman, senior director of global information security and digital forensics at Pfizer, about getting apps ready to run on a commercial browser. “There are inherent gaps."

Hoping to fill those gaps, some software companies are offering browsing capabilities specifically designed for the workplace, with security controls built in and better integration of enterprise apps. They include established players like Google and Microsoft as well as startups, like Island, founded in 2020, and Here, formerly OpenFin, which was founded in 2010 and released its enterprise browser this year.

The path to becoming more enterprise-grade has been a focus of the browser industry for a few years now, said Robert Shield, director of engineering for Google’s Chrome Enterprise unit. Chrome Enterprise Core, which has been around since late 2020, is a cloud management service that sits on top of Google Chrome and provides security capabilities.

A combination of factors, including remote work and the continued rise of cloud-based software-as-a-service applications have led to a reimagining of what the browser’s role should be, according to Shield.

“What we’re really seeing is this shift in how people think about browsers as not just the thing that allows them to use the applications, but also the thing that allows them to secure their data and secure their employees," Shield said.

While adoption is low today, research firm Gartner estimates that by 2030, enterprise browsers will become the core platform for delivering workforce productivity and security software on devices.

Pfizer said it has deployed the Island enterprise browser in some use cases and it is aiming for a more scaled out deployment in the future.

Coleman said he was skeptical at first about paying for a browser, since traditional browsers are available at no extra cost, but he has found using Island to be more cost effective since he is able to consolidate some of the other security measures in the tech stack.

“It’s not going to solve everything, but when you’re looking at improving security, saving money, looking for mature capabilities beyond the basic browser—I think these will be very important in the future," Coleman said.

One of the benefits, Coleman said, is the ability to easily control what data employees can access within apps based on their role in the organization—something that is possible in commercial browsers, but only with a heavy technical lift.

Island’s chief customer officer, Bradon Rogers, said businesses can also control how users interact with data, for example, whether they are allowed to copy and paste it into other apps or upload it to ChatGPT.

United Airlines Chief Information Officer Jason Birnbaum agrees that traditional browsers have some room to grow. “Like anything that is used both commercially and in the enterprise, there’s different requirements," he said.

United hasn’t deployed enterprise browsers, but Birnbaum said benefits could extend beyond security into user experience. Better integration between apps, for example, could reduce the amount of time spent toggling between tabs showing things like flight dispatches and airport gates, he said. 

“If you have an environment that enables you to allow applications to work more seamlessly—that to me seems to be the real promise of what this is all about," he said.

Enterprise browser provider Here is aiming to solve the toggling problem with Supertabs, which are designed to hold several related apps within one tab, similar to a multiscreen setup, according to Here Chief Executive Mazy Dar.

Kim Prado, a CIO at the Bank of Montreal, plans to migrate to Here’s enterprise browser over the next few weeks.

“Our tech people love it because it’s controlled," she said. “It enables us to move fast and deploy applications in a browser without having to worry about all the overhead."