Mozilla extends Firefox olive branch to businesses

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Mozilla has sought to address cooled relations with business users by saying focusing on the needs of individuals results in widespread enterprise use by loyal browser fans.

Last week, Mozilla product manager Asa Dotzler stirred up a hornets nest when he said Firefox was aimed primarily at consumers and the company was less interested in business users.

Microsoft then stepped in in to assert just how business-friendly its Internet Explorer browser, actually is and that the software giant sees it as being “about and not or” when it comes to focus on consumers and enterprise users.

Open Source software is well-suited to these challenges, as interested parties can come together to build what is needed.

The latest twist comes from the Mozilla blog, where Jay Sullivan, vice president of products claimed the needs of the individual user have always been a primary focus. However, he added by improving the individual experience the browser has made its way into the enterprise world organically with “loyal” users introducing Firefox to their workplace.

“A key challenge for enterprises is that they need to certify their websites, apps and add-ons each time Firefox is updated,” he said.

“This can take weeks or months. Security is also paramount, enterprises need access to a version that includes all known security fixes.”

Mozilla also clearly recognises the issues businesses face. Sullivan indicated Mozilla was looking to work with enterprises to counter some of these problems, particularly in relation to the new six-week fast development and rollout cycle.

“We are exploring solutions that balance these needs, with active discussion in our community,” he said.

“Open Source software is well-suited to these challenges, as interested parties can come together to build what is needed.”

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