back to article 'IE hit squad' helps ease browser babel on office PCs

A browser start-up is building software to help large operations manage the increasing breakdown in dominance of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and the proliferation of various other browsers in the workplace. Internet Explorer hit squad Browsium has announced beta availability of Catalyst, software that manages the creeping …

COMMENTS

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  1. Will Godfrey Silver badge
    Meh

    I would have thought that the users would be even more confused if they see a different browser for each site they visit or application they use.

    This situation isn't going to improve, so just bite the bullet and move to standards compliant systems. A bit of pain now will save a lot of agony later.

  2. Ben Tasker

    It makes more sense now I've finished the article

    But initially it looked like software aimed at making Firefox & Chrome as 'secure' as IE, so the irony in

    Catalyst allows organisations to run Firefox and Chrome on enterprise machines - in addition to IE - without exposing important applications and machines to attack from the web,

    really hit me!

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Alternative use

    By directing browsers other than the one(s) of choice to a internal URL you could

    1) put the brakes on unofficial installs of browsers

    2) flag up a screen "this browser is not supported" and instructions to contact IT/collect cards from HR

    1. This Side Up
      WTF?

      Re: Alternative use

      Then just masquerade as the supported browser. I remember whan I had to set the browser "Who am I" to IE5 or Netscape because some sites simply wouldn't talk to any other browser. It looks like we're heading back to the bad old days.

      A browser is only a tool, FGS. I remember a conversation with an IS bod that went something like

      "I've uninstalled IE"

      "You can't uninstall IE"

      "But I have..."

      I didn't tell them how, though it wasn't exactly difficult.

  4. Skrynesaver
    Mushroom

    $(What Will said above)++

    Seriously if you still have some piece of crap intranet app that requires IE6/ActiveX it's time to move on and accept that you were conned into a foolish purchase. Next deal with the reality that browsers have common standards now that can be coded to and begin the painful migration process, it will save you time and effort in the long-run.

    Now, about that SharePoint system we were discussing...

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "Browsium"

    Fer feck's sake! —they deserve to go bankrupt, for that "voo-va-voo" name alone. Mind you Could have been worse. It mght have been voo-va-voo Browsium Solutions.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    A solution desperately looking for a problem

    A half-arsed solution but still a solution. Anyway considering the IT literacy levels shown in governments this has a good chance to work, actually quite nicely.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: A solution desperately looking for a problem

      Not necessarily the literacy level of any given individual. In our case, key financial software requires IE8 (not our decision, personally of the opinion that somewhere there's a bought poll who keeps forcing it through). Google are discontinuing support of IE8 in about 2 weeks for our newly acquired cloud mail and apps system. And we're not yet approved from Chrome because it's "vulnerable". So we can't roll out IE9 because of the finance apps, and we can't roll out Chrome because of a security vs implementers kefluffle. Right now it looks like it will be Firefox to the rescue, although I'm told we'll be able to roll out Chrome Real Soon Now (govt tm pending).

      For as half-arsed as it is, this would be a solution that would work for us. Send the finance apps to IE8, GMail and everything else to IE9 or Firefox depending on personal preferences. Of course, it probably has a fair associated cost (even $15/station is a fair associated cost when your org has 15,000+ people and I expect it would be more than that), we couldn't afford it anyway.

  7. Carl
    FAIL

    Or put another way...

    A browser start-up is building software to help large operations manage the SCREWUP OF PAST I.T. DIRECTORS DECISION TO USE Microsoft’s Internet Explorer RATHER THAN STANDARD COMPLIANT BROWSERS.

    You are most welcome.

  8. Colin Millar
    Mushroom

    Chicken or egg?

    Which came first - the problem or solution?

    I hate every f**king thing on the innertubes ever since my insurance company said I couldn't download my PDF docs because my browser was too old (ie8) and I needed to upgrade to ie9. I want to get that "developer" and beat him/her repeatedly around the head with a wet sock until they promise never to do anything ever again that involves a thought process.

    Where is the "my head just exploded in rage" icon?

    1. Tom 13

      Re: Chicken or egg?

      Wait until you try Chrome....

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "IE6 continues to cling on inside many large government and business operations, which are tied to the browser through their use of Windows XP"

    This is a bit misleading. It makes it sound like IE6 is in use because of XP, when in fact certainly IE7 (and IE8 I think?) allow themselves to be on XP. IE6 is in use in companies because of the weird crap they serve up on their intranets.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Yes, IE8 is the most recent version which will install on XP in a supported fashion (unknown if you can force 9 on in some manner).

      1. david 12 Silver badge

        force 9 on in some manner

        IE9 is the version of IE8 that is built using the new graphics API. Since display is fundamental to both browsing and MSWindows, you can run IE9 on XP only by effectively replacing XP with Win7, or effectively replacing IE9 with IE8.

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