Mozilla backtracks on enterprise support in Firefox

Mozilla has said that it will look to balance the shorter update cycle for Firefox releases with the needs of enterprises for a stable build around which to develop.

Product manager Asa Dotzler caused a storm when he said that Mozilla is focusing on improving the browser for individuals, rather than for enterprises.

Microsoft was quick to jump in and say that Internet Explorer is still focused on the needs of enterprise users.

Jay Sullivan, vice president of products at Mozilla, has now sought to find a middle way, saying in a post on the Mozilla blog that, while the needs of individual users are still paramount, the organisation is keen to work with enterprise clients as well.

"A key challenge for enterprises is that they need to certify their web sites, apps and add-ons each time Firefox is updated. This can take weeks or months. Security is also paramount, and enterprises need access to a version that includes all known security fixes," he wrote.

"We are exploring solutions that balance these needs, with active discussion in our community."

The problems relate to Mozilla's decision to dramatically accelerate its development cycles. This approach to browser design is also used by Google with Chrome, and Glenn Wilson, product manager on Chrome for business, told V3.co.uk that IT administrators staying in the development loop is vital.

"We find administrators take advantage of our developer and beta channels to get an idea of what's coming in the future and how they can work with the new code," he said.

"If they find something that will cause a break in their existing applications they can lock it down from the auto-update mechanism until changes are made. We also do general outreach to administrators."

Even with the six-week Chrome development cycle, this gives administrators enough time to mange their deployments, he said, and growing interest from enterprises shows that the system is working.