Here’s the facts, Jack, or Jacqueline: If you have any legacy applications that run in IE, you will need to address the IE End of Life coming this June for Windows 10 (and the complete lack thereof in Windows 11) – So, Edge IE Mode – are you ready? Not an issue if, for some reason, you’ve been using an IE shortcut on your desktop to get to Google (it will open in Edge). If your enterprise has a Java-dependent legacy application that needs to be opened in IE, clicking on that shortcut will result in a broken link, and a call to a help desk. Of course, Microsoft has a plan for the enterprise (they’d better): Edge IE ModeEdge IE Mode is essentially a browser within a browser that needs to be accessed through configurations set in group policy for each site that has an IE dependency. Microsoft’s tool for accomplishing this, Enterprise Mode Site List, or as I prefer to call it “Catalyst Lite”, is limited, will require constant management, and has minimal support. CatalystBrowsium’s redirection tool launched in January of 2013, used in place of Enterprise Mode Site List adds the following features to EMSLs simple redirect: – The ability to redirect from all major browsers – EMSL only supports IE and Edge, while Catalyst supports IE, Edge, Chrome, and Firefox. – The ability to create rules that match on a variety of specific criteria – EMSL only supports simple string contains and zone-based rules, while Catalyst also supports the use of regular expressions. This way, you can be confident that the rules you create only match the sites that you want when used with applications with complicated URL schemes. – The ability to have different browser redirection behavior dependent on the rule. Catalyst allows administrators to redirect users to a specific page when performing browser redirection, to close the tab, or stay on the same page. EMSL only supports staying on the same page. In addition, Catalyst has the ability on a rule-by-rule basis to launch either a new window or a new tab in the target browser, as well as a new session for Edge IE Mode – many legacy applications require launching into a new session; EMSL cannot. – The ability to block other requests into a browser that are not associated with a specific rule. – The ability to redirect into custom browsers, such as virtualized browser instances. – The ability to test URLs to see which rules they activate within the Catalyst Manager, minimizing post rule testing. More importantly, Catalyst includes enterprise-grade support and training. With, on average, enterprises having 1678 legacy sites*, here’s an even better question: How does one identify IE dependencies in their estate before June 15th?!? Yep, another shameless but relevant plug: ProtonOur Visibility Tool provides a deep understanding of web applications, browsers, and add-ons, including their component dependencies and usage by user, machine, organization unit, and IP address range, for a complete picture across your IT environment. Proton Info Graphic and ITOM Proton * Study conducted by Forrester Consulting, April 2021 |
If your enterprise currently employs the Browsium Suite, you already have superior tools in your tool bag to identify and configure applications for Edge IE Mode!
Microsoft’s tool for accomplishing this, Enterprise Mode Site List, or as I prefer to call it “Catalyst Lite”, is limited. | ||
