Your guide to Industrial Browsers
Uncover the essentials of industrial browsers: what they are, how they stand apart from standard browsers, and their main features designed for industrial applications.
What is an Industrial Browser?
The growing prevalence of web-based Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) has driven demand for industrial-grade browsers designed explicitly for ruggedized mobile devices. These purpose-built browsers integrate seamlessly with WMS platforms.
Unlike consumer browsers, industrial browsers provide native support for peripherals-such as barcode scanners, RFID readers, and printers-directly within the web application, ensuring rapid, error-free data capture.
Industrial browsers preserve investments in web-based WMS by eliminating the need to develop and maintain platform-specific native applications, while ensuring a unified interface and functionality across all devices.
Examples of today’s industrial browsers include Airlock Browser (Outcoder), Enterprise Browser (Honeywell), Enterprise Browser (Zebra) and Velocity Web (Ivanti).
Industrial Browsers vs Enterprise Browsers
The naming of some industrial browsers can create confusion between two distinct browser categories. While both enhance browser functionality, they serve fundamentally different purposes. Enterprise browsers focus on cybersecurity and supporting remote work trends, particularly in the post-2020 landscape. In contrast, industrial browsers are designed for operational efficiency in physical workflows, ensuring seamless performance of web-based WMS platforms on specialized hardware.
Enterprise browsers have been gaining traction in recent years (early 2020s). The technology is being adopted by companies seeking controlled browsing environments in response to evolving cybersecurity threats and the shift to remote work.
Enterprise browsers are deployed as standalone, enterprise-managed web browser solutions or as extensions integrated with existing browser applications. These browsers are designed with integrated security features, centralized policy management, visibility and reporting tools, as well as productivity and collaboration functionalities.
Examples of enterprise browsers include Citrix Secure Browser, Island, and Prisma Access Browser.
Industrial Browsers vs Standard consumer Browsers
WConsumer Browsers (e.g., Chrome, Safari) are designed for general web browsing, prioritizing exploratory experiences, multimedia content, and user-friendly interfaces. While ideal for everyday use, their feature-rich design introduces unnecessary distractions and inefficiencies in environments like warehouses. They often lack native integration with industrial hardware components-such as barcode scanners, RFID readers, or printers
Industrial Browsers: Range of Benefits
Barcode Scanner Support
- Out-of-the-box integration with device’s barcode scanner.
- JavaScript APIs are included for handling scanner events for more complex scenarios
Advanced Configuration & Custom Actions
- Supports client-side scripting (JavaScript/CSS/HTML)
URL Rules
- Restrict access to approved domains.
User Interface (UI) Customization
- Streamline interfaces by hiding non-essential menus/navigation bars.
- Customize color schemes to reflect your organizations branding.
Note: Full UI customization is only available in Airlock Browser (Outcoder)
Lock Down / Kiosk Mode
- Limits configuration settings to end user experience.
Integration with Enterprise Applications
- Connects seamlessly to web based applications (WMS, ERP.etc.)
- Enables secure expanded development capabilities for web applications via custom scripting.
Configuration Distribution & Scalability
- Deploy configurations via a configuration file (URL-hosted or local) or MDM platforms
- Ensures consistency across devices.
