Mozilla to let enterprises build custom Firefox browsers

08.06.2009

Mozilla has not historically done this, but something like the Build Your Own Browser program is a good start to encourage enterprises to use Firefox over IE, she said.

"If Mozilla can enable some customization to developers and IT professionals to not only brand but give greater control to manage and administer the Firefox browser, that will certainly have companies take another look at it to make it the default browser of choice," McLeish said.

Up until now Mozilla has offered "deep customization tools" for Firefox, but they weren't always obvious to the average user and there has never been a good way for someone to build a customized version of the browser, Beltzner said.

Mozilla also has not provided software akin to Microsoft's installation pack for IE, but does make it possible for people to build their own multiple-machine installers for Firefox, given that the browser is open source and applications for it can easily be developed, he said.

Firefox has about 300 million users worldwide, and Firefox 3.5 will be available in more than 70 languages on the day it is available, according to Mozilla. A beta of the browser is available now.