For technology enthusiasts who vilify it for poor security, lack of performance and incompatibility with modern web standards, Internet Explorer belongs to a bygone era of computing. For many users however, Microsoft’s often criticised web browser is quite simply ‘The Internet’. The Internet Explorer (IE) desktop shortcut was - until collective technical knowledge began improving - the only gateway to the online world for millions of people, making it the most popular web access tool by a massive margin. Yet a recent re-evaluation of browser usage figures, which show that the reign of IE is seriously under threat, helps us make two very important points about the use and perception of IT today which those in a support capacity must grasp.
IE is no longer the most popular browser for weekend home users, who are increasingly opting to use Google Chrome according to figures from StatCounter. Firstly, the news proves that users are hugely more sophisticated than those of us working in IT give them credit for. Whereas once few would have even realised that there were other programmes for going online, a fact that ensured IE has retained its position as the most popular browser for everyday usage, there are now myriad browsers jostling for position. Users are experimenting, driven by a desire to enhance their computing experience. Even though this dramatic culture shift has been in motion for some time, we must take stock and consider what this means for internal IT delivery. We can no longer run our support operations on the basis that we know more than users, as this simply isn’t true. We must consider users today as peers to work with towards a shared goal of finding the best technology to help the business operate effectively.
Secondly, the rise of Chrome rams home the point that consumerisation has become a much bigger driver of technology usage than the internal IT department. If users are prepared to shop around and risk installing software on their own computers and smart devices, they are likely to be just as adventurous at work if they can see a benefit in switching applications, systems or even platforms. The example of choosing browsers can be extrapolated against any other technology: the notion that there is only one tool for each job must be ditched. Those of us working within IT reject this reductive view, so why do we continue to force users to work on pre-approved technology?
Disillusioned by the prescriptive approach of IT, users are finding their own path to effective working and in the process bypassing internal technology provision. IT departments must adapt, and do it quickly, to get users back on side.
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