Browser battlefield shifts to enterprise systems
Monday, 5. December 2005, 00:08:57
The battle of the browsers ultimately is the battle for which browser is the de facto Web-client platform that runs enterprise applications.
Here's another point of view.
December 04, 2005
Opinion: Microsoft Shows Its IBMness
By Scot Finnie
Techweb.com
[snip]
According to published reports, Mozilla's target for calendar year 2005 is for Firefox to surpass only 10% market share. I mention this to point out the sheer immensity of the advantage Microsoft has in browser share, because even if Firefox surpasses 10%, Internet Explorer would still likely be well over 80%.
In this David and Goliath story, the important battle isn't for the hearts and minds of end users; it's the battle for which browser is the de facto Web-client platform that runs enterprise applications. In other words, it's IT managers and CIOs who control the likelihood of whether Mozilla and other alternative browsers have a chance to succeed in the marketplace.
Enterprise applications designed to run clients as ActiveX or Microsoft JVM-specific apps in Internet Explorer could be re-written by enterprise app providers (whether inhouse or from third-party providers). IT organizations need to make this a priority, not just because it's the right thing to do but because it's the best thing for them over the long haul. There should be no one-horse software categories, even for clients like the lowly Web browser--no, especially not for such lowest-common-denominator categories.
By the same token, software makers need to work harder at this. ActiveX causes serious security problems for Microsoft, but it also cements the browser category for the software giant. Last June, Mozilla, Apple, Sun, Opera, Adobe, and Macromedia announced a partnership to update the open, scriptable plug-in model originally developed by Netscape, called NPAPI (Netscape Plugin Application Program Interface).
Here's another point of view.
December 04, 2005
Opinion: Microsoft Shows Its IBMness
By Scot Finnie
Techweb.com
[snip]
According to published reports, Mozilla's target for calendar year 2005 is for Firefox to surpass only 10% market share. I mention this to point out the sheer immensity of the advantage Microsoft has in browser share, because even if Firefox surpasses 10%, Internet Explorer would still likely be well over 80%.
In this David and Goliath story, the important battle isn't for the hearts and minds of end users; it's the battle for which browser is the de facto Web-client platform that runs enterprise applications. In other words, it's IT managers and CIOs who control the likelihood of whether Mozilla and other alternative browsers have a chance to succeed in the marketplace.
Enterprise applications designed to run clients as ActiveX or Microsoft JVM-specific apps in Internet Explorer could be re-written by enterprise app providers (whether inhouse or from third-party providers). IT organizations need to make this a priority, not just because it's the right thing to do but because it's the best thing for them over the long haul. There should be no one-horse software categories, even for clients like the lowly Web browser--no, especially not for such lowest-common-denominator categories.
By the same token, software makers need to work harder at this. ActiveX causes serious security problems for Microsoft, but it also cements the browser category for the software giant. Last June, Mozilla, Apple, Sun, Opera, Adobe, and Macromedia announced a partnership to update the open, scriptable plug-in model originally developed by Netscape, called NPAPI (Netscape Plugin Application Program Interface).
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