Maximizing ROI with an enterprise browser: How investing in built-in security and productivity pays off.
The act of browsing the internet and displaying web pages feels like it should be free. Right?
(And, on any typical consumer browser you can think of…it is free.)
But as the modern workplace evolves, organizations around the world are beginning to pay for their browser.
Why would they do that?
Simple: The reality is, most organizations end up piling on loads of technology and expense to manage and secure that old-school consumer browser – making it far from “free,” in the end.
Think about the average setup for an organization today. Many companies are global or use contractors. Many also allow employees to work from home or bring their own device (BYOD). In order to securely connect these users, companies usually find themselves paying for virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), Citrix clients, mobile device management (MDM), password managers, virtual private networks (VPNs), and more – not to mention the time and cost associated with setting up all those configurations.
The enterprise browser is liberating organizations from those add-on expenses. Between enhanced functionality, cost savings, stronger security, and productivity gains compared to their free consumer counterparts, enterprise browsers have tremendous ROI in the modern workplace. And organizations are taking notice.
Modern IT investment, massive savings
The primary cost benefit of an enterprise browser is simple: It displaces multiple other tools and technologies, all of which are far from free.
Take your average call center, staffed by hundreds of contractors. Traditionally, that company would have to employ clunky VDI and more to connect contractors across the miles while protecting sensitive customer data.
Or a law firm whose attorneys are dispersed around the country – or, once in a blue moon, going on vacation. Traditionally, that firm might require hardened laptops and unreliable VPNs to protect client information. But if that laptop gets lost, or that VPN doesn’t connect at the beach, the firm is looking at days of lost work.
But by simply switching to an enterprise browser, all kinds of companies can enjoy finer security controls, steadier connectivity, and enhanced productivity from day one – without all the add-ons. All that attorney or call center employee needs is a device and an enterprise browser, and they’re ready to go – whether they’re answering phones in Bangalore or answering emails in Bali.
Reduced VDI tech and hardware also decreases the need for organizations to have extensive data center resources – saving on costs while optimizing network paths and reducing traffic backhaul in the process.
That’s tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of hardware, licenses, bandwidth, security governance, and more per user that organizations can now retire – a 10-20x return on the enterprise browser investment. For larger companies, making the switch to an enterprise browser is already adding up to hundreds of millions of dollars in savings.
Enhanced security, productivity, and functionality
An enterprise browser’s purely cost-related benefits are significant – but that’s not where its benefits end.
First, implementation of an enterprise browser is typically a low-lift process, requiring no extra hardware, let alone training. (You’d be hard pressed to find someone in the workplace today who doesn’t know how to use a browser.)
Security controls – including application access control, zero-trust network access, device visibility, and more – are also seamlessly integrated into an enterprise browser, allowing organizations to enforce robust security policies without disrupting user productivity. From a central management console, administrators can effortlessly deploy new security policies that govern every session, ensuring comprehensive protection across the enterprise. An enterprise browser makes security foolproof for users while delivering built-in defenses that align with the organization’s unique security requirements.
The user experience is just as easy and efficient. Let’s go back to the call center example. When a call center worker picks up a VoIP call, 50 copy-paste buffers fill up with everything they know about that customer, and they can drag and drop those fields throughout the call. But an enterprise browser can track that drag and drop, so later the organization can automate those actions. The enterprise browser gives users an easier compute environment and removes monotony from their path.
Enterprise browsers also give users the power to choose the setup that works best for them as well as for the organization. They want to use their iPad, their iPhone, their Chromebook – no problem. All of these are viable options. From an end-user perspective, the enterprise browser enables an environment dedicated to the user’s function and user’s approach, rather than just a one-size-fits-all model that everyone in the organization has to work around.
The modern workplace worth paying for
Yes, browsing is free. And for things like online shopping and streaming videos, it should stay that way.
But more and more organizations are seeing that an enterprise browser is worth every penny – returning their investment over and over again in terms of cost savings, improved security, and enhanced efficiency. Enterprise browsers are modernizing workplaces in ways we never before thought possible. Sometimes, the best things in life are better than “free” – they’re invaluable.
Learn what to consider and which questions to ask when evaluating enterprise browsers.
