IE6 inside IE8 tool raises UniBrows

Redmond start-up Browsium has released its Internet Explorer (IE) 8 add-on, UniBrows, which it claimed enabled business applications designed for IE6 to run in the newer browser.

“With UniBrows there’s no longer a need to rewrite Web applications or install expensive and complex virtualisation solutions,” Browsium said in a statement on Tuesday.

“By simply installing UniBrows on PCs running Windows 7 or Windows XP with IE8, enterprises can continue to use all of their already-deployed and paid-for IE6 applications inside IE8 without modifying a single line of code."

It may come as little surprise that the company is run by three former Microsoft executives, with experience in its Internet Explorer business. It even set up camp "just down the street" from the Redmond's better known resident.  

Browsium ran a beta program for UniBrows throughout last year - the company's first year of operation.

Chief executive Matt Heller said the product would offer an on-ramp from Windows XP to Windows 7 and a newer browser, while buying time to upgrade legacy web applications.

The IE8 add-on offers native IE6 rendering, JavaScript and ActiveX, according to Browsium. A management console allows administrators to choose which web applications remain in the IE6 browser engine, retaining legacy ActiveX components. All other web services such as intranet would run through IE8’s engine, the company explained.  

Browsium will charge US$5,000 for a base license that covers 5,000 to 50,000 seats, as well as a US$5 per seat fee. It’s also offering a 60 day evaluation kit.

UniBrows' release comes a week after Microsoft commenced its campaign to expunge Internet Explorer 6 from the web. Currently 12 percent of all browsers are IE6, with a third of that figure from China, according to Net Applications statistics.