The new Microsoft Edge browser has finally caught up to Google’s Chrome browser, and the timing is great. The #wfh transition means that more personal devices are being utilized to access corporate resources. Often this is done via a web browser, which means your corporate security could depend on what browser they are using!
Microsoft transitioned to the Chromium-based engine for the new Edge browser which was released in January 2020. The move to the Chromium engine means that your favorite Chrome extensions will work in addition to the enhanced speed and page loads it provides. Most importantly the Edge browser is fully integrated with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem and can be easily managed and deployed via Intune.
The ability for Edge to sign in directly to your Microsoft Azure Active Directory without the need for additional configuration means more security and productivity for end users. Users can quickly access all of their Microsoft applications in an efficient and secure way. When running on an Azure joined workstation this process happens automatically.
A big issue using Chrome in the enterprise version was that you needed a (personal) Google account to sync your settings across all your browsers on different devices. Deployment of this was not seamless and required additional work between IT and the end user. Edge allows your Microsoft 365 account to maintain the sync between all your browsers and will natively connect to Azure AD. Now we can utilize a single account (and identity) to secure all our corporate data separately from personal accounts.
There is also a mobile version (Android / iOS) that can be deployed and controlled via Intune for organizations that want to maintain a safe and secure environment for their end users no matter what device they are on. It will also sync all your settings across from your workstation via your Microsoft 365 account.
Microsoft’s Internet Explorer has FINALLY been replaced with a modern, integrated, and secure browser that all Microsoft 365 users should consider deploying via Intune.