Browsium offers an escape route from Microsoft IE6

SOFTWARE DEVELOPER Browsium has updated its web browser plug-in technology to help firms migrate from Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 (IE6), while still letting them access legacy applications written specifically for the outdated browser version.

The firm's first product, Unibrows required customers to deploy the IE6 engine, which caused some licensing issues, but the new product does away with that completely.

Browsium Ion, available immediately, introduces a new approach to compatibility. It eliminates the need to use the IE6 engine completely, and instead allows organisations to tailor configuration settings in IE8 and IE9 that will apply only to specific URLs that need remediation.

Browsium CEO Matt Heller told The INQUIRER that Browsium Ion gives administrators control over settings that will make IE8 or IE9 behave like IE6 as far as the application or web site is concerned.

"It's things like security permission levels, things that Microsoft locked down over time, which broke compatibility in many cases," he said.

Browsium Ion thus does not modify the server side application code at all, but merely creates an environment inside a modern browser tab that enables the application to function as if it were being accessed by IE6.

"We've put a dial in everywhere that Microsoft put a switch, so you can adjust things on a per-app basis," Heller explained.

This includes on-the-fly corrections, such as string replacement to correct for lax syntax that web developers could get away with in IE6, but which is not tolerated by modern web browsers.

Browsium Ion can also "sandbox" other plugins such as ActiveX controls and Java, enabling an older version of Java to run in one browser tab just for one specific URL, according to the firm.

Configuration settings are created using a Configuration Manager, and applied using Active Directory policies. No server-side components are necessary.

The firm said that in the future it intends to develop its technology to provide cross-browser compatibility between IE, Firefox and Chrome, giving users the ability to have "any browser in any browser".

Licensing for Browsium Ion includes a base fee of $5,000 (£3,187), plus a per-seat fee that depends upon specific customer requirements.

Browsium also offers a Jump Start programme, whereby engineers will visit a customer anywhere in the world and help them configure Browsium Ion for their first few applications. µ