internet explorer 6 with windows 7 thumb Internet Explorer 6 on Windows 7

Yes Internet Explorer 6 is still used worldwide!

Actually I was writing about similar topic (IE6 on Windows 7 using XP mode) once before because a lot of enterprises today are running their line-of-business (LOB) web applications on Internet Explorer 6. In other words those applications can’t run or they do not behave normally on Internet Explorer 8. Also we all know that migrating on Windows 7 causes that you can’t use Internet Explorer 6 anymore. Of course you can use XP mode or Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V), but what if you don’t have the possibility to use virtualization technologies. Anyway obviously, compatibility issues of line of business applications with new Internet Explorer 8 (or 9 when it RTM’s) is a major showstopper for many companies today.

According to Gartner Research, IE6 compatibility problems will cause 1-in-5 organizations to take longer than expected or spend more than they budgeted for their Windows 7 migration projects. Problem is that approximately 40 percent of the Web applications used by companies still running IE6 won’t work on IE8 – the browser bundled with Windows 7

Ok so what’s the solution?

Luckily there is one great add-on to IE 8 which allows you to run complete IE6 engine inside IE8 tab. In that way you can easily without any fear migrate to Windows 7, migrate to new Internet Explorer and still use your older LOB web applications. Company that developed that product is called Browsium, and product is called UniBrows. As they say Unibrows is:

an innovative new product that removes a key impediment to enterprise upgrades by enabling millions of IE6-based line-of-business web applications to run unmodified on Windows 7 or on IE8 on Windows XP (and IE9 when it is released). UniBrows is an IE add-on that runs the complete IE6 rendering engine and web-application platform inside an IE8 tab. UniBrows is not virtualization, does not run a separate instance of IE, and does not change the default browser or normal browsing behavior. By installing UniBrows on client PCs running Windows 7 or Windows XP with IE8, organizations can upgrade their OS and browser platforms organization-wide immediately and then rewrite or replace legacy applications on an independent schedule.

So key characteristics to remember here are:

  • UniBrows allows you to run your IE6 LOB web applications normally on IE8 and IE9 when it will be released.
  • UniBrows is simple to deploy
  • It does not require any changing in applications or in your current IE8 browser.
  • It can be configured (with Group Policy) to automatically know which web sites to open with UniBrows add-on.
    If you are interested in this solution find out more here.
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