Gazelle the OS/Internet Browser of tomorrow

Operating System: Software that controls the operation of a computer and directs the processing of programs (as by assigning storage space in memory and controlling input and output functions) – Merriam Webster

In today’s world we generally think of operating systems as Windows, Mac and Linux but things are starting to change as we see the Internet become the focus of all of our computing.  This week to further the idea that the Internet browser is the operating system of the future, Microsoft Research announced “Gazelle” the Internet browser of the future.

Gazelle is different because it actually goes beyond browsing and is constructed as a “multi-principal OS”.

The Problem

The problem with current Internet Browsers is that they are getting to be easily exploited by malware and phishing schemes in an attempt to defraud a user.  They have increasingly become more profitable for the  organized crime sections of society.  It allows them to exploit vulnerabilities and user ignorance with little effort.

Most ploys are simple codec installs to allow videos to play.  Most people tend to fall for this as they are looking for porn or other immoral material but in recent years the malware distributors are targeting everyone.  They are no longer just sticking to the Underbelly Of The Internet and have risen up to such powerful levels that exposure on normal websites is commonplace.

Many websites are also infected with scripts that are basically small programs designed to hi-jack a users internet browsing.  This can take a user to malicious website or perform a phishing scam in an attempt to harvest personal information.

Beyond even malware are applications that execute in your Internet browser that then give them the ability to load content onto your computer.  Sometimes these applications are poorly designed and then break the browser itself.  These are just a few examples but the problem is much larger than people realize.

Previously it has always been up to the operating system to “control” these types of problems with endless updates and patches to try and keep the problem to a minimum.  This is becoming more and more difficult as operating systems become more complex.   Microsoft having the largest market share also has the biggest target on it for malware.  Internet Explorer has been so heavily targeted that simply for security reasons it makes sense to switch to a competing browser.

The Solution

The browser itself needs to be more like an operating system and less like a document viewer.  Microsoft recognizing this problem has created the prototype OS/Browser named Gazelle.  Modern browsers do have some separation of content from the host operating system but Gazelle has complete separation of ALL resources.

Anti-Virus applications as they scan your computer frequently use something called Sandboxing to test programs and files to see if they are malicious. What this essentially means is that the files are tested in a virtual environment to see what the file does and if it is possibly malware.  What makes it so effective is that it the process is completely separate from the host operating system.

Gazelle is introducing the idea of Sandboxing the Internet Browser to isolate processes and requests from the host operating system.  All requests must go through the Internet browsers kernel and as such keeps the operating system safe from malicious content.

Plugins and things such as toolbars have always been a large problem for browsers and Gazelle is no different.  With changing the way a plugin interacts with the system also causes problems with legacy sites and plugins.  More than likely many of these will need to be re-written to allow them to be compatible with Gazelle.

Obstacles

Gazelle benefits from the backing of Microsoft but it does have a lot of challenges to overcome.  People are concerned about security but they really want things to be convenient and fast.  Microsoft however has an even bigger problem, they are too big.

Because Microsoft is such a large company they struggle to release products fast enough after they announce them.  Gazelle is a good idea and now with their ideas in the open it is a good chance that right now behind closed doors a competitor is going to beat them to the punch and release a similar product first.

The European Union is also pressuring Microsoft to include other browsers in their operating systems.  This is going to increase the competition very quickly for them and possibly cause a large market shift that is not in their favor.

Conclusion

Browsers are a very competitive market and even though Microsoft holds the largest market share it is only because it is bundled with the operating system.  Instead of bundling it they need to make a product that is truly innovative like Gazelle and compel people to download and install it.  When a product is the best in it’s class people will willingly use it and more importantly for Microsoft, love it.

While the browser is still in the development stage it is really good to see that Microsoft is looking at how a browser must be in the near future. Security is important and the browser is one of the largest open doors on a computer.  Internet browsers need to rise to the occasion and become the new operating system and at this point Microsoft is the first to starting line with Gazelle.

Check It Out> Microsoft Research, Gazelle white paper (PDF) via InfoWorld