Having teased professionals with its redesigned, work-focused browser, Microsoft has now announced that Edge for Business is available to test in private preview for select customers who will be able to access some features early in exchange for feedback.
However, the company is quick to point out that this early version of Microsoft Edge for Business makes do without “visual treatment and branding” on mobile devices, and that “visual treatment and branding.”
Nevertheless, the business browser promises to deliver security and productivity features designed to appeal to workers and their employers when it finally launches.
Microsoft Edge for Business testing now
The Windows maker says that its new and updated browser “aims to address the needs of both end users and IT Pros,” making it a perfect client for browsing the web on any number of work-related devices including managed and unmanaged PCs, thus representing an opportunity for some BYOD companies to exercise a level of control and maintenance over their workers without the intrusion.
Edge for Business “automatically separates work and personal browsing into dedicated browser windows with their own favorites, separate caches and storage locations,” says Microsoft.
With some parts of the upcoming browser now in private preview, Microsoft is yet to add custom branding capabilities for businesses, which it says is coming “soon.”
As companies look to reduce their IT spend, introducing BYOD policies, and workers continue to favor hybrid working routines, it is hoped that Edge for Business will help bridge the gap between work and personal on the same device.
To start with, Amazon, BestBuy, Target, and Walmart will support automatic switching to a personal browsing session. Conversely, work-related sites such, including Microsoft 365 and other services that require a work login, will automatically open in a work browsing session.
While there’s no word on general availability in this announcement, a separate roadmap entry that describes Edge for Business as a response to the “evolving security landscape” says that rollout should begin in August following a June preview (which so far is proving true to timescales).
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