Microsoft 365 users have a new reason to choose Edge over Google Chrome

Closer ties between Edge and Microsoft 365

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Microsoftis preparing an update for itsweb browserEdge that will help develop new synergies across its product suite.

As pernewentriesin theMicrosoft 365product roadmap, users of theproductivitysuite will soon benefit from the ability to access both their Outlookemailinbox and Office documents via a dedicated sidebar within Edge.

Due to roll out next month, the update is designed to limit the need for workers to switch continuously between windows when performing tasks, with all the necessary tools housed within the browser instead.

Microsoft Edge: the browser for business?

Although Microsoft Edge enjoyed a period of rapid growth after its relaunch back in 2020, the browser continues to lag behind Chrome andSafari, both of which enjoy a far greater market share, thelatest figuresshow.

Despite a consistent stream of feature updates, renewed marketing efforts and the integration of Edge into the company’s newWindows 11operating system, Microsoft has struggled to move the needle in any significant way.

The software giant has also scored a number of own goals that are unlikely to have ingratiated Microsoft Edge with potential new users.

For instance, Microsoft was recentlyforced to walk back a policythat added an unreasonable amount of friction to the process of changing the default browser inWindows 11after users made their displeasure known.

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Microsoft alsocame under firefor efforts to block links opened via its own services (e.g. Windows 11 widgets, the Start Menu etc.) from launching in any other browser but Edge, another tactic that drew criticism from the community.

Microsoft Edge update gives power users plenty to celebrate>Our list of the best collaboration software around>Microsoft Edge gets emergency patch for severe zero-day vulnerability

But the upcoming update hints at a change in approach; the company is now seeking to lean on the popularity of services like Outlook and other elements of the Microsoft 365 suite to incentivize a switch to Edge, a subtler tactic less likely to draw the ire of the community.

Microsoft has also targeted improvements from a performance and security perspective, which business users in particular are bound to appreciate. In recent months, for example, the company has bolstered the in-builtpassword manager, rolled out an integratedVPNservice and deployednew tricksto improve browsing speeds.

If Microsoft Edge is to compete head-to-head with the market leaders, the team will need to stake a claim to a particular niche or use case. In the business market, perhaps it has found one.

Joel Khalili is the News and Features Editor at TechRadar Pro, covering cybersecurity, data privacy, cloud, AI, blockchain, internet infrastructure, 5G, data storage and computing. He’s responsible for curating our news content, as well as commissioning and producing features on the technologies that are transforming the way the world does business.

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