Microsoft’s push to drive customers onto its Edge browser is shifting up one other gear with a transfer which may go away some enterprise customers despairing.
The corporate has revealed that hyperlinks from its Microsoft Groups and Outlook platforms will now open in Edge, even when customers have chosen a special possibility as their default browser.
This might go away customers ready in frustration after clicking on a hyperlink from both the video conferencing or e mail platform, as a dormant Microsoft Edge heaves itself up from the depths of their historical work-provided PC or laptop computer and fires up, resulting in an enormous slowdown in efficiency and drop-off in effectivity.
Edge hyperlinks for Outlook and Groups
The change was noticed in new Microsoft help documentation by The Register (opens in new tab), which appeared to melt the blow for customers by promising that using Edge can be higher for legacy Outlook apps.
Going ahead, browser hyperlinks from the Outlook app will open within the Microsoft Edge sidebar pane, which the corporate says is much like having two tabs open side-by-side.
“Microsoft is all the time striving to enhance and streamline our product experiences—providing a brand new manner to make use of the traditional Microsoft Outlook app on Home windows and the Microsoft Edge net browser,” the corporate wrote in its announcement (opens in new tab).
“This lets you simply entry, learn, and reply to the message utilizing your matching authenticated profile. No extra disruptive switching—simply your e mail and the online content material it’s worthwhile to reference, in a single, side-by-side view.”
Nonetheless, a Microsoft spokesperson did inform The Register that customers will be capable to select between persevering with to make use of Edge or opening future launches inside their default browser.
The announcement additionally notes {that a} related change can even be coming to Microsoft Groups quickly, noting, “Sooner or later, hyperlinks out of your Microsoft Groups messages can even open in Microsoft Edge by default that will help you keep engaged in conversations as you browse the online.”
The identical firm spokesperson advised The Register the change would, “…create a better manner for Outlook and Microsoft Groups customers to scale back job switching throughout home windows and tabs to assist keep centered.”
The latest Statcounter figures (opens in new tab) present that Microsoft’s ongoing efforts to push customers in direction of Edge is probably not having the specified impact. Its most up-to-date report discovered that Edge had misplaced its second place within the international browser market to Apple’s Safari providing, which now claims 11.87% of customers, in comparison with Edge’s 11% – though each path far behind runaway chief Google Chrome (66.13%).