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IBM Makes Firefox Its Corporate Browser
e9th writes "Ars Technica reports that IBM has adopted Firefox as its company-wide browser. Firefox will be installed on all new employee computers, and all 400,000 employees will be encouraged to use it. Speaking of encouraging Firefox use, IBM VP Bob Sutor blogs: 'We will continue to strongly encourage our vendors who have browser-based software to fully support Firefox.' I hope this means that if IBM can't navigate a vendor's site with Firefox, they'll just look elsewhere."
I hope this means that if IBM can't navigate a vendor's site with Firefox, they'll just look elsewhere.
Oh, I couldn't care less about that. Let me explain "What freedom means to me." My company has more than a few apps that kept us on IE6 for the longest time. Why did they select IE6? Well, at the time, Internet Exploder was the only browser that allowed them to maintain strict policies and security settings across the company. It's still one of their big selling points that they have "slipstream installation" and "Group policy enhancements (total of 1,500, with 140 new in Internet Explorer 8)." Well, now that IBM has developed the Client Customization Kit and maybe -- just maybe -- they can get it to a point where an administrator can control proxy and policy settings in Firefox from one central IT position. It's this. It's this concept that is the answer to my question why I'm still developing to support the browser from hell. And I know I'm not alone.
So I'm adding one marble to the 'like' side of the scales of IBM (which they'll need a lot more of to tilt it back to even). I hope to see some serious support come out of this for FF's CCK.
My work here is dung.
And will they please release the management utilities via open source?
From the article
A number of third-party tools have been developed over the years to simplify certain aspects of organization-wide Firefox roll-outs. One of those tools is the Client Customization Kit (CCK), which was developed by Firefox modification consultant Michael Kaply while he was employed by IBM. Kaply still actively maintains the tool and released an updated version for Firefox 3.6 in March. IBM is using it alongside other tools to ensure that its Firefox adoption plan goes smoothly.
IBM already has developed the initial version. CCK is currently Mozilla Public License 1.1 and I have not seen any notice that they're changing that so your question is answered.
K THX BYE
Anytime, brah.
My work here is dung.
This is bad news for banks and other big orgs that dodge supporting browsers other than IE giving the "cover story" that other browsers are wildcards in term of security.
People will ask if IBM can do it, why can't they.
I guess the admins of such orgs could always say
"Well, we do not have the resources of an IT company giant"
Yet, with all of those employees, going to all of those sites......
> I hope this means that if IBM can't navigate a vendor's site with Firefox,
> they'll just look elsewhere.
I hope this means that if IBM can't navigate a vendor's site with Firefox they'll tell the vendor why he is losing the sale.
Buyer: "I tried to check on your Web site as you suggested but it doesn't seem to work with Firefox." Salesman: "Oh, yes. We only support IE." Buyer: "Get back to me when you've fixed your site."
Warning: this article may contain humor, sarcasm, parody, and perhaps even irony. Read at your own risk.
Do they still produce IBM-branded personal computers?
IBM sold the PC business to Lenovo half a decade ago. So now most desktop and laptop PCs are "Lenovo compatible".
FTA:
IBM plans to roll it out to employees on new computers and will encourage its staff of 400,000 to use it on their existing systems.
Sounds like this will be a slow adoption if they are only setting it as the default browser on new computer systems and simply "encouraging" their installed base to use it. It probably does make sense to go slow like this with it, but it doesn't make for a sensational headline to say "IBM to slowly roll out firefox as the default browser as they replace hardware; encourages existing users to use firefox too".
As an IBM employee I can say that the Firefox install was recently pushed as a required update to existing machines, so not only new machines will be receiving it.
First off "IBM PC" is a brand name and that's what I was referring to, and you knew very well that's what I meant. Second.....
>>>The PC was invented by Apple
WRONG. The first personal computers were sold in the early 70s, and the most popular of those was the Altair (1975-77). The Apple I was not the first PC. ----- Then Radio Shack introduced the TRS-80 in 1976 and it quickly became the most popular computer up to that date (approximately 1 million sold), followed by the 1979 Atari 400/800 (1.5 million), and finally the Commodore 64 and Amiga 500 (30 million and 15 million respectively).
And now you know..... the Rest of the story. And you can erase that Steve Jobs 101 revisionist stuff from your mind. Apple I was not the first personal computer - the early 70s hobbyist computers were the first PCs.
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
Chrome isn't a better browser, it is faster at the moment, but it uses a lot of memory and isn't mature at this point. It's mostly fast by virtue of not having all the features that have made the competition somewhat bloated. But rest assured that Google realizes this and is in the process of larding it up.
Being fast is one thing, but it's really pointless when it's spying on you and makes it a headache to use sites because it randomly refuses to show images without explanation. I have a sneaking suspicion that, that whole spying things probably has something to do with it not being chosen.
Notice that IBM is not going with Chrome, though it is a faster and better browser for the moment.
As stated before, IBM wants to build a stable linux environment to eventually replace windows internally, and the chrome port for linux sucks ATM.
Also, IBM started testing Firefox for internal use for over 4 years now, when chrome didn't even exist.
That is why they went with Firefox.