Announced at Build 2023, Microsoft Edge for Business is a powerful solution designed to revolutionize the way enterprises browse the web, enhance productivity, and ensure optimal security. With its advanced features and seamless integration with Microsoft’s ecosystem, this innovative browser offers a wide array of benefits for businesses of all sizes. In this article, we will explore the remarkable capabilities of Microsoft Edge for Business and how it can empower organizations to achieve new heights of success.
In this guide, we will delve into the key features, benefits, and strategies for enabling and optimizing Microsoft Edge for Business in preview. Whether you are an IT professional, a business owner, or an individual user, this guide will equip you with the necessary knowledge to harness the power of Microsoft Edge for improved productivity, enhanced security, and seamless collaboration. Let’s dive in!
Understanding Microsoft Edge for Business
Microsoft Edge for Business is an innovative web browser that empowers organizations to navigate the digital landscape with ease. Packed with advanced features and functionalities, this browser offers superior browsing experience while meeting the unique demands of businesses.
The benefits of Microsoft Edge for Business include the following:
- Enhanced Productivity: Microsoft Edge for Business provides a range of tools and features designed to enhance productivity. With built-in integration with Microsoft 365, users can seamlessly access and collaborate on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.
- Robust Security Measures: Security is a top priority for businesses, and Microsoft Edge for Business delivers on this front. It offers proactive protection against online threats, such as phishing attacks and malware, keeping your sensitive data safe.
- Simplified IT Management: IT administrators can breathe a sigh of relief with Microsoft Edge for Business. The browser offers centralized management capabilities, allowing for efficient deployment, configuration, and updates across an organization’s devices.
Edge for Business Key Features
Microsoft Edge for Business boasts an impressive array of features and functionalities that cater to the needs of modern businesses. Let’s explore some of the standout features:
- Collections: Collections allow users to effortlessly organize and curate web content. With a simple click, you can gather articles, images, and other relevant information into a visually appealing and easily accessible format. This feature is particularly useful for research, content creation, and project management.
- Immersive Reader: The Immersive Reader feature in Microsoft Edge for Business provides an inclusive browsing experience for users. It enhances readability by removing distractions, adjusting text size and spacing, and enabling text-to-speech functionality. This feature promotes accessibility and improves comprehension, benefiting individuals with learning disabilities or visual impairments.
- Internet Explorer Mode: Edge for Business offers seamless compatibility with legacy web applications through its Internet Explorer Mode. This feature enables organizations to transition to the modern browser while maintaining support for older web-based tools. It eliminates the need for separate installations or virtual machines, streamlining workflows and reducing IT complexity.
- Enhanced Security and Privacy: Edge prioritizes security with features like SmartScreen, which helps protect against phishing attempts and malicious websites. The browser also supports Microsoft Defender SmartScreen, which provides real-time protection against various types of online threats. With additional features like InPrivate mode and password management, Microsoft Edge makes privacy a top priority for businesses too.
How to Enable Microsoft Edge for Business Preview
Microsoft Edge for Business is currently accessible through a restricted trial phase exclusively on supervised devices running Microsoft Edge version 115 or above.
To activate Microsoft Edge for Business, simply sign into the browser using your Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) account. This authentication process guarantees seamless access to all your Microsoft 365 services within your professional browsing environment.
To enable the trial, navigate to the Microsoft Edge address bar and input the following URLs, ensuring that you set each of these four flags to Enabled:
edge://flags/#edge-project-kodiak
edge://flags/#edge-project-kodiak-look-and-feel
edge://flags/#edge-project-kodiak-policy-filter
edge://flags/#edge-automatic-profile-switching
Click Restart after you have enabled all four flags for the changes to be applied to the Edge browser. The private trial encompasses various visual enhancements for your work browser window, a carefully managed personal browser window, and automatic transitioning between work and personal browsing sessions for an expanding selection of websites.
Optimize Edge for Business
Now that you have enabled Microsoft Edge for Business Preview and explored its key features, it’s time to optimize the browser to maximize its potential within your organization. Here’s a couple tips to keep your workflow seamless:
- Customize the New Tab Page: Tailor the New Tab Page to suit your organization’s needs by adding relevant widgets, quick links, or productivity tools. This allows users to have quick access to essential resources, enhancing efficiency and saving time.
- Leverage Microsoft Search: Integrate Microsoft Search into Microsoft Edge for Business to enable unified search capabilities across your organization. This feature enables users to find files, documents, and even internal websites directly from the browser’s address bar, streamlining information retrieval.
- Implement Security Policies: Utilize Microsoft Endpoint Manager to enforce security policies and protect against potential threats. Leverage features like Microsoft Defender SmartScreen and Application Guard to enhance the browser’s security posture, safeguarding your organization’s data from malicious activities.
Conclusion
Microsoft Edge for Business is a game-changer for organizations looking to embrace the power of a modern web browser while meeting their unique business requirements. By enabling and optimizing Microsoft Edge for Business Preview, you can unlock a host of productivity-enhancing features, robust security measures, and simplified IT management capabilities.
Embrace the future of web browsing and stay ahead of the competition. Make the switch today and empower your organization with the seamless browsing experience and unparalleled productivity tools offered by Microsoft Edge for Business.
