Build 2023: Microsoft announces Edge for Business

Kevin Okemwa

set up microsoft edge

Microsoft has announced that its browser Edge is getting a new and refreshed look. The change is designed to enhance the browsing experience for users, one that’s both aesthetically pleasing as well as user experience.

Alongside this new development, Microsoft also debuted Microsoft Edge for Business in preview on managed devices. It’s in place to deliver a unique and dedicated browser experience for businesses featuring its own visual elements, including an adjusted icon, your organization’s name, and other visual cues.

Microsoft Edge for Business is powered by Azure Active Directory (AAD) and ships with a wide range of features that you already interact with in Edge, only that these features are now dedicated to providing users with the best browsing experience for business. The key features that are part of this new experience include enterprise controls, security, and productivity features.

Additionally, the company has highlighted that this new experience will help mitigate issues that arise when it comes to hybrid work. It will help to better define work and personal use within the browser.

And now rather than having multiple browsers to cater to the various needs that you might have, Edge for Business will help enhance the user’s privacy while simultaneously “maintaining crucial, enterprise grade controls set at the organizational level.”

This way, it will be easier for users to separate their work-related browsing experiences from their personal within the Edge browser since the new experience automatically splits work and personal browsing into dedicated browser windows. What’s more, it further categorizes caches and storage locations separately.

Edge for Business

Microsoft further stated in the blog post that:

Work-related sites, such as Microsoft 365 apps and services and sites requiring work login, automatically open in the work browser window. A growing set of popular sites automatically open in the personal browser window. Once enabled, users will be able to seamlessly and automatically flow back and forth between the work and personal browser windows, depending on the site. Users can designate additional sites for work or personal use in settings.

IT admins, on the other hand, will be able to leverage the new experience’s capabilities to better handle cyberattacks within the organization. Edge for Business cancels out the need to use different browsers since it has the capability to manage hybrid work and split work from personal needs. As such, it is now possible to better handle attacks since hackers will have limited avenues to exploit.

The new experience also ships with designated controls and security features such as built-in data loss prevention, information rights management, and feature availability, ultimately allowing IT admins to put elaborate measures in place that will protect users within the organization from data breaches.

Microsoft Edge for Business will define how people interact with the web both at work and home, as they are now able to completely separate both browsing experiences.

Not to mention the enhanced security features that will help keep attackers at bay. The company has further indicated that the experience is expected to start rolling out to unmanaged devices in the next couple of months.

What are your thoughts on the Microsoft Edge for Business experience and its capabilities? Let us know in the comments.

Image via Microsoft