Understanding Salesforce Browser Support Changes
Salesforce is a piece of software designed to help you and your company manage your customer database as well as track the success of your sales people. Browser access is just one of the many features offered by this software. However, you have to make sure that the software will support the browser that you are currently using. If not, it’s time for your company to upgrade their browsers or find new sales management software.
Since Microsoft originally announced that they would stop supporting Internet Explorer 7 and 8, Salesforce has made the same decision to stop supporting their software on those browsers. Microsoft has amended their decision, but Salesforce has not. The fact is that Salesforce browser support on Internet Explorer 7 and 8 will stop in after the summer 2015 release.
Issues With Salesforce Browser Support
This does not mean that the software will stop working entirely. However, it does mean that some features and functionalities of the software may not work anymore. In addition, it means that you cannot get technical support for Salesforce if you are using it on Internet Explorer 7 or 8. Errors that show up only for those users will not be investigated by the Salesforce support team.
This is due to the fact that older versions of Internet Explorer are less secure than the newer versions. Since Windows will no longer be offering patches or bugfixes for these older browsers, any security holes that are discovered will not be fixed. This leaves your data vulnerable. Much of the data being sent to Salesforce is either confidential or private, so it is very important it does not get leaked.
In addition, some of the features offered by Salesforce require the use of HTML5, a type of coding for Internet browsers which has become the new industry standard. The older versions of Internet Explorer do not support HTML5, making it difficult to offer a high-quality experience for customers across the board between newer and older browsers.
This change in Salesforce browser support should not affect very many users. Only about sixteen percent of Salesforce customers are using the software through Internet Explorer 8. The numbers for Internet Explorer 7 are even lower, encompassing just five percent of the user base. Most of the customers are using newer browsers, which Salesforce will continue to support for some time to come.
If your company is one of the ones still using Internet Explorer 7 or 8, it’s probably time to upgrade. Again, there are many security vulnerabilities in those older browsers that leave your company open to attack. A browser upgrade across the board will be beneficial for many reasons.
If for some reason you cannot upgrade, such as if the operating system on your business’s computers won’t work with a newer version, you’ll have to find another way to manage your customer database. Newer releases of Salesforce are going to offer features that won’t be compatible with your company’s other software.
Salesforce browser support is moving forward, leaving behind support for older browsers. It’s time for businesses to do the same, unless they want to be left behind as well.
