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Total Economic Impact
Cost Savings And Business Benefits Enabled By Microsoft Edge For Business As A Secure Enterprise Browser
A Forrester New Technology Projected Total Economic Impact Study Commissioned By Microsoft, October 2025
Total Economic Impact
A Forrester New Technology Projected Total Economic Impact Study Commissioned By Microsoft, October 2025
Today, enterprises face increased security threats and sensitive data loss but still need to provide end users with the flexibility to work anytime, anywhere, and on any device. This work, including AI use, is happening in the browser, which has become the application where users can complete all or the majority of their work.1 Therefore, Forrester recommends investing in secure enterprise browsing technology, as it provides high business value by reducing the need to deploy other security solutions and adds protection inside the browser.2
Edge for Business is a secure enterprise browser from Microsoft that is included inbox with Windows at no added cost and provides advanced, native security capabilities with eligible Microsoft 365 subscriptions. It secures the browser on desktop and mobile with strong authentication and health checks, data protections, generative AI (genAI) controls, and comprehensive reporting across managed and unmanaged devices. Customers manage Edge for Business with either Microsoft Intune or the Microsoft Edge management service.
Microsoft commissioned Forrester Consulting to conduct a Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) study and examine the potential benefits and financial impacts enterprises may realize by adopting and standardizing on Edge for Business as a default browser.3 The purpose of this study is to provide readers with a framework to evaluate the potential financial impact of Edge for Business on their organizations.
To better understand the benefits, costs, and risks associated with this investment, Forrester interviewed eight decision-makers and surveyed 215 respondents with experience using Edge for Business. For the purposes of this study, Forrester aggregated the interviewees’ and survey respondents’ experiences and combined the results into a single composite organization, which is a global organization with $2 billion in annual revenue and 8,000 end users — 15% of whom are contractors, frontline workers, and temporary employees. The composite is a Microsoft 365 customer with 80% of its end users using E5 and 20% using E3. It utilizes the security included in Microsoft 365.
Interviewees said that prior to standardizing on Edge for Business as their secure enterprise browser, their organizations typically used multiple standard browsers, often with multiple third-party security extensions. Additionally, many extensively used traditional virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) for end-user segments like contractors. However, these approaches created environments that they could not effectively manage or secure, which led to security risks, data loss, suboptimal productivity, and excessive costs.
After adopting and standardizing on Edge for Business, the interviewees’ organizations reduced the number of browsers managed to primarily focus on supporting the secure enterprise browser they already had in their environments. Key results from the investment include strengthened security, increased cost savings, improved end-user productivity, improved IT efficiency, and improved security efficiency.
Quantified projected benefits. Three-year, risk-adjusted present value (PV) quantified benefits for the composite organization include:
Strengthened security with up to 90% reduced risk exposure compared to standard browsers. By setting Edge for Business as its default secure enterprise browser, replacing previous standard browsers, the composite organization strengthens security for its most used application. It now offers stronger protection for users and devices against increasingly sophisticated and evolving threats by expanding browser safeguards to include data protections and AI controls, including prompt-level protections. It also better protects against external threats such as phishing and eliminates third-party extensions, which helps reduce attack surfaces and minimize risk. Over three years, this benefit is worth between $383,000 and $1.4 million to the composite organization.
Cost savings of up to $1.1 million per year. The composite organization retires the browser security extensions it used before adopting Edge for Business. Additionally, because Edge for Business enables secure access to organization resources on unmanaged devices, the composite reduces its use of traditional VDI or desktop as a service (DaaS). The composite has modernized its workloads, so it chooses to use Edge for Business as a complementary solution in scenarios where contractors, frontline workers, and temporary employees only require access to web applications. It can also increase its use of bring-your-own-device (BYOD) programs and save on PC costs because Edge for Business provides unmanaged device support. The composite then reprioritizes these cost savings to further grow its business. Over three years, this benefit is worth between $536,000 and $2.9 million to the composite organization.
Improved end-user productivity of up to 45% on relevant tasks. In addition to enhancing the security of its end users, Edge for Business also improves end-user productivity in the browser through integration with Microsoft 365, built-in features like tab management, faster work content search, and easier access and use of AI with Microsoft 365 Copilot. Not only are the composite’s end users then able to better progress toward their work goals but they also enjoy their browser user experience. Over three years, this benefit is worth between $2.8 million and $8.4 million to the composite organization.
Improved IT efficiency with up to 45% less time spent on browser management. The composite organization’s IT team is more efficient with Edge for Business. It has fewer browsers and extensions to manage, benefits from using Intune to manage the browser along with other endpoints, has fewer browser-related help desk tickets, resolves browser-related tickets faster, spends less time on traditional VDI and DaaS management, and spends less time on PC procurement, provisioning, and shipping. Additionally, Edge for Business is already installed on Windows, so the composite’s IT team can skip deployment and go straight to configuration. With this improved efficiency, the IT team can focus on higher value business goals. Over three years, this benefit is worth between $26,000 and $77,000 to the composite organization.
Improved security efficiency with up to 50% less time spent on browser security. By adopting Edge for Business, which is already in the environment, the composite organization’s security team operates more efficiently. The team has fewer browsers and extensions to manage and secure. It also benefits from the seamless integration with the Microsoft ecosystem. Microsoft Security solutions natively integrate with Edge for Business, so the composite does not have to purchase or deploy separate security solutions and extensions just to secure the browser. The same tools the security team uses for the rest of the composite’s environment also work for the browser, helping ensure security continuity. The composite’s team then focuses on other security priorities and higher value tasks. Over three years, this benefit is worth between $17,000 and $43,000 to the composite organization.
Unquantified benefits. Benefits that provide value for the composite organization but are not quantified for this study include:
Fewer vendors to manage. Because the composite organization is already a Microsoft customer, it realizes efficiency gains in procurement, adoption, and management phases.
Ability to obtain and maintain cyber insurance. The composite organization can acquire and maintain cyber insurance because it meets its insurer’s browser security requirements.
Positive end-user experience. In addition to becoming more productive, the composite’s end users are satisfied using Edge for Business. They are familiar with the browser, quickly adapt to using it, have easier access to AI, and share positive feedback with the IT and security teams.
Flexibility. Microsoft customers might adopt Edge for Business and later realize additional uses and business opportunities, including:
Supporting the move to Zero Trust. The composite organization can support its Zero Trust strategy by adopting Edge for Business and utilizing Entra Conditional Access, which is natively supported in this browser. Moving to this security model can help more quickly contain breaches and give a competitive edge.4
Scalable and enterprise-ready. The composite organization can easily scale its adoption of an enterprise-capable secure enterprise browser to all end users.
Costs. Costs for the composite organization that are not quantified for this study include:
Edge for Business license costs. Edge for Business is included inbox with Windows at no added cost. The advanced security and management features in Edge for Business are also included with eligible Microsoft 365 plans. Therefore, because the composite organization is a Microsoft 365 E3 and E5 customer, there is no further cost, and it can use the secure enterprise browser it already has.
Adoption and ongoing management. To maximize the benefits, the composite organization invests in resources to plan, test, train, and customize Edge for Business and manage it postadoption.
Forrester evaluated the likelihood and risk associated with the potential benefits and modeled a base-case scenario as the most likely outcome. Forrester also modeled a range for the upside potential, which companies that fully adopt Edge for Business as their default secure enterprise browser may realize. This financial analysis projects that the composite organization accrues the following three-year present value (PV) benefits for each scenario by enabling Microsoft Edge for Business:
Upside potential high-end impact of $12.8 million PV benefits.
Upside potential low-end impact of $7.7 million PV benefits.
Baseline scenario impact of a $3.8 million PV benefits.
Projected benefits PV
Secure Enterprise Browsing
Enterprise browsers add advanced controls to the web experience, providing better security and management of software as a service and internal web application delivery than popular browsers within a familiar Chromium experience, without needing a full cloud security gateway deployment.5
| Role | Industry | Region | End Users |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managing director | Financial services | North America HQ, global operations | 225,000+ |
| IT director | Healthcare | North America HQ, global operations | 125,000+ |
| Director of IT | Healthcare | North America | 25,000+ |
| VP of information security | Travel and hospitality | North America HQ, global operations | 20,000+ |
| Senior director | Consumer product goods | Europe HQ, global operations | 20,000 |
| Chief information technology officer | Government | North America | 5,000+ |
| IT director | Retail | North America HQ, global operations | 1,000+ |
| Chief information security officer | Financial services | North America HQ, global operations | 1,000+ |
Before adopting Edge for Business, interviewees told Forrester that their organizations often used two or more standard browsers or allowed end users to choose any browser. Many of the interviewees’ and survey respondents’ organizations also used third-party security extensions with these standard browsers. The browser was the most used application for most of the interviewees’ organizations.
Interviewees and survey respondents noted how their organizations struggled with common challenges, including:
Security threats and data loss risks.
With an evolving security landscape, interviewees told Forrester that their organizations continued to face external threats and attacks by threat actors (e.g., phishing) and product-level security challenges (e.g., malicious browser extensions). More than ever, they needed enterprise-ready security and manageability tools. However, with so many workloads in the cloud, their organizations faced sophisticated risks that standard browsers did not address, such as concerns with sensitive data management. Since employees did most of their work through the browser, data leaks were possible through inadvertent risky behavior and malicious data exfiltration. AI also magnified these challenges. The IT director for a retail organization said: “We face much more sophisticated threats now. We saw an uptick in malicious access that was not intentional by the user.” The managing director of a financial services organization said: “Especially with genAI, there
are going to be threats that people have never thought about. We are all going to be vulnerable to that.”
Interviewees’ organizations not only recognized the evolving threat landscape, but also experienced breaches and data leaks.
Productivity challenges for end users, IT, and security. Interviewees reported that end users, IT, and security weren’t as productive as possible when using and managing standard browsers. When asked about the business cost of challenges resulting from not utilizing an enterprise browser, 58% of survey respondents reported suboptimal productivity, including delayed onboarding. The VP of information security for a travel and hospitality organization elaborated on this, saying: “The fragmentation of the user experience with multiple browsers led to challenges in inconsistency of experience, potential incompatibility issues with certain browsers, and challenges with third-party browser extensions.”
Beyond the user experience, interviewees and survey respondents reported productivity challenges for IT and security that included not only managing and securing standard browsers but also securing web applications and managing traditional VDI or DaaS. The senior director for a consumer product goods organization said: “With our standard browser, rolling out policies and controls was becoming difficult. We needed more integrations, such as data loss prevention (DLP), and integrating with our standard browser was not seamless.”
End-user flexibility on managed and unmanaged devices. Interviewees told Forrester that their organizations needed to support remote and hybrid work on an array of devices, including desktop and mobile devices and managed and unmanaged devices. This was challenging with standard browsers. The VP of information security for a travel and hospitality organization said: “Remote and hybrid work is a challenge. With more associates and business partners consuming applications remotely outside of our network, we needed to be able to do remote browser access.”
Technology costs. Due to using standard browsers, browser extensions, and traditional VDI or DaaS, interviewees noted excessive technology costs. In a challenging macroeconomic environment, more than one-third (39%) of survey respondents reported that budget cuts were a catalyst for changing the status quo of their organizations. The managing director for a financial services organization that had modernized and was reevaluating its technology needs said: “VDI served the purpose but was extremely expensive and painful to manage. That’s what prompted us to investigate secure enterprise browsers.”
Base: 215 respondents involved in decision-making related to their organizations’ enterprise browser strategies
Source: Microsoft Edge for Business Survey, a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting
Base: 215 respondents involved in decision-making related to their organizations’ enterprise browser strategies
Source: Microsoft Edge for Business Survey, a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting
Base: 215 respondents involved in decision-making related to their organizations’ enterprise browser strategies
Source: Microsoft Edge for Business Survey, a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting
The interviewees’ and survey respondents’ organizations searched for a solution that could:
Be created and supported by a trusted vendor.
Seamlessly integrate with the Microsoft ecosystem.
Provide the necessary depth, breadth, and quality of capabilities for IT admins and end users.
Support legacy web applications.
Be familiar to end users.
Be easily adopted.
Provide flexible access with wide browser availability.
Meet cost requirements.
Be recommended by experts, including colleagues and analysts.
After an RFP and business case process evaluating solution options and vendors, the interviewees’ organizations chose Edge for Business and began to adopt the secure enterprise browser.
Note: Multiple responses accepted
Base: 160 respondents involved in decision-making related to their organizations’ enterprise browser strategies
Source: Microsoft Edge for Business Survey, a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting
Based on the interviews and survey, Forrester constructed a TEI framework, a composite company, and a benefits analysis that illustrates the areas financially affected. The composite organization is representative of the interviewees’ and survey respondents’ organizations, and it is used to present the aggregate financial analysis in the next section. The composite organization has the following characteristics:
Description of composite. The composite organization is a global enterprise headquartered in North America with $2 billion in annual revenue and 8,000 end users. It is a Microsoft 365 customer; 80% of its end users are on Microsoft 365 E5 plans and 20% are on Microsoft 365 E3 plans. To secure those end users, it leverages Microsoft Defender, Microsoft Entra, Microsoft Intune, and Microsoft Purview. Additionally, some of its end users are contractors, frontline workers, and temporary employees that used traditional VDI or DaaS or company-provided laptops before adopting Edge for Business.
Deployment characteristics. The composite organization adopts Edge for Business in Year 1 as its default browser, following initial labor for planning, testing, training, and customization. It adopts the secure enterprise browser across all geographies and business units.
$2 billion revenue
8,000 end users
Microsoft 365 customer (80% E5 and 20% E3)
Utilizes the security included with its Microsoft 365 plans
| Ref. | Metric | Source | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | Annual revenue | Composite | $2,000,000,000 |
| R2 | End users | Composite | 8,000 |
| R3 | Percentage of end users who are full-time employees | Composite | 85% |
| R4 | Percentage of end users who are contractors, frontline workers, or temporary employees and were leveraging traditional VDI or DaaS before adopting Edge for Business | Composite | 8% |
| R5 | Percentage of end users who are contractors, frontline workers, or temporary employees and were using company-provided laptops before adopting Edge for Business | 100%-R3-R4 | 7% |
| R6 | Average fully burdened hourly rate for security staff | Composite | $72 |
| R7 | Average fully burdened hourly rate for IT staff | Composite | $60 |
| R8 | Average fully burdened hourly rate for end users | Composite | $44 |
| Benefit | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total | Present Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total projected benefits – Baseline scenario | $1,519,398 | $1,519,398 | $1,519,398 | $4,558,194 | $3,778,517 |
| Total projected benefits – Upside potential low | $3,081,906 | $3,081,906 | $3,081,906 | $9,245,718 | $7,664,244 |
| Total projected benefits – Upside potential high | $5,147,290 | $5,147,290 | $5,147,290 | $15,441,870 | $12,800,549 |
Evidence and data. Interviewees told Forrester that the browser had become their organizations’ most used application. They also faced new threats that standard browsers were not well equipped to address, resulting in increased risk, breaches, and data loss.
By standardizing on Edge for Business instead of using standard browsers, interviewees and survey respondents stated that they strengthened their organizations’ security and better protected users and devices from new and traditional threats. This included securing sensitive data through DLP policies across managed and unmanaged devices. These policies helped prevent inadvertent risky data use and intentional data exfiltration by end users. Respondents also emphasized the importance of managing unsanctioned genAI use, with prompt-level protections that helped reduce the risk of accidental data exposure. It also meant protecting users and devices (managed and unmanaged) against more traditional external threats and attacks where browsers and web applications were the threat vectors and protecting against product-level security vulnerabilities such as malicious extensions.
Features natively built into Edge for Business drove these results, including Purview data security controls, Entra Conditional Access, Intune, genAI protections, website typo protection, and more. Interviewees’ organizations no longer needed to deploy separate security solutions or extensions, which ensured a continuity of security controls across endpoints — including the browser — and resulted in better security postures. Overall, interviewees consistently reported strengthened security and reduced risk exposure without hindering end-user productivity.
Interviewees and survey respondents indicated that Edge for Business would help protect sensitive organizational data on managed and unmanaged devices. It ensured that the right people securely accessed corporate data through the browser and protected against inadvertent risky data use and intentional data exfiltration. Seventy-two percent of respondents indicated they either expect Edge for Business to protect sensitive data from unauthorized accessing and sharing or have already seen these benefits.
Given the evolving threat landscape and browser use, interviewees and survey respondents reported that Edge for Business could help secure data while interacting with genAI tools in the browser.
In addition to securing data and protecting against evolving threats, interviewees and survey respondents also reported that Edge for Business would protect users and managed and unmanaged devices from external threats that target browsers and web applications. Sixty-eight percent of respondents indicated that they either expect Edge for Business to safeguard users from phishing and malicious websites or have already seen these benefits.
Interviewees explained that their organizations realized these security benefits across managed and unmanaged devices. The chief information security officer for a financial services organization specifically said, “Entra Conditional Access is going to be beneficial because you are reducing exposure with unmanaged devices.” They added: “Microsoft Edge password manager would be a great value add. It would prevent the use of passwords that have been exposed.”
Base: 151 respondents involved in decision-making related to their organizations’ enterprise browser strategies
Source: Microsoft Edge for Business Survey, a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting
Base: 151 respondents involved in decision-making related to their organizations’ enterprise browser strategies
Source: Microsoft Edge for Business Survey, a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting
Modeling and assumptions. Based on the interviews and survey, Forrester assumes the following about the composite organization:
Based on Forrester’s 2024 Security Survey, the cumulative annual cost of breaches for the composite organization is $3,207,000.6
The likelihood of experiencing one or more breaches for the composite organization is 64%.7
Thirty percent of breaches originate from attacks that are addressable by secure enterprise browsers including phishing, credential theft, and data exfiltration.8
By adopting Edge for Business, the composite organization reduces its risk exposure by up to 90%. This includes intentional and unintentional data leaks.
Results. This yields a three-year projected PV ranging from $383,000 (baseline) to $1.4 million (upside potential high).
Reduced risk exposure with Edge for Business
| Ref. | Metric | Source | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | Cumulative cost of breaches for the composite | Forrester research | $3,207,000 | $3,207,000 | $3,207,000 | |
| A2 | Likelihood of experiencing one or more breaches for the composite | Forrester research | 64% | 64% | 64% | |
| A3 | Percentage of attacks addressable with Edge for Business | Interviews and survey | 30% | 30% | 30% | |
| A4 | Subtotal: Annual risk exposure addressable with Edge for Business | A1*A2*A3 | $615,744 | $615,744 | $615,744 | |
| A5Baseline | 25% | 25% | 25% | |||
| A5Upside low | Reduced risk exposure with Edge for Business | Interviews and survey | 50% | 50% | 50% | |
| A5Upside high | 90% | 90% | 90% | |||
| AtBaseline | $153,936 | $153,936 | $153,936 | |||
| AtUpside low | Strengthened security | A4*A5 | $307,872 | $307,872 | $307,872 | |
| AtUpside high | $554,170 | $554,170 | $554,170 | |||
| Three-year projected total: $461,808 to $1,662,510 | Three-year projected present value: $382,816 to $1,378,139 | |||||
Evidence and data. Interviewees told Forrester that adopting Edge for Business allowed their organizations to retire third-party browser security extensions. Additionally, as their organizations modernized to using web applications, interviewees and survey respondents reported that their organizations could replace traditional VDI or DaaS with Edge for Business for select end users who only required access to web applications. Interviewees also discussed increased adoption of BYOD, which helped reduce PC purchases and save costs. These changes were made possible because Edge for Business enabled secure access to organizational resources via unmanaged devices, starting with a health check and secure authentication, and carrying over data protection. Their organizations could then reprioritize this IT spend or increase profitability.
Sixty-seven percent of survey respondents indicated that they either expect to reduce the number of third-party browser extensions or solutions with Edge for Business or have already seen these benefits.
Interviewees also expected to reduce the number of third-party security extensions by adopting Edge for Business. The IT director for a retail organization explained how they saved nearly $50,000 per year, saying: “We did not renew [one security extension]. [We now save on costs for] 2,600 users at $19.00 a year.” The VP of information security for a travel and hospitality organization said: “We had other plugins, like DLP plugins, that we got rid of as we consolidated to Microsoft. In total, that led to licensing savings of $200,000 annually.”
In addition to reducing spending on third-party security extensions, some interviewees and survey respondents reported spending less on traditional VDI and DaaS solutions by adopting Edge for Business as a complementary solution in select scenarios. Those who realized this cost savings benefit did so because their organizations had modernized their workloads and end users could access everything they needed through the browser. The managing director for a financial services organization said, “Within the next 18 to 24 months, VDI is going to be completely eliminated.” They elaborated on the cost savings, saying: “You can make [traditional] VDI secure too, but the amount of money you have to spend and the amount of effort are much higher. If we have to spend $1.00 with VDI, we can get the same outcome for $0.20 using Edge for Business. This is going to help move the needle in the right direction with the overall goal of improving total cost of ownership and ROI.”
Due to Edge for Business’s unmanaged device support, 47% of survey respondents indicated that they either expect to reduce the number of PCs purchased and shipped to contractors by adopting Edge for Business or have already seen these benefits.
Base: 114 respondents involved in decision-making related to their organizations’ enterprise browser strategies
Source: Microsoft Edge for Business Survey, a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting
Modeling and assumptions. Based on the interviews and survey, Forrester assumes the following about the composite organization:
Before adopting Edge for Business, the composite organization leverages two third-party browser security extensions.
After adopting Edge for Business, the composite organization no longer needs these extensions due to the browser’s capabilities, and it eliminates up to 100% of this spending.
Before adopting Edge for Business, the composite organization leverages traditional VDI or DaaS for 8% of its end users.
For fully modernized workloads where users can access applications and resources through the browser, the composite organization replaces up to 100% of traditional VDI or DaaS use with Edge for Business. However, Edge for Business may not be able to replace every traditional VDI workload.
The average cost of traditional VDI or DaaS per end user per month is $40.
Before adopting Edge for Business, the composite organization provides corporate-owned devices to some of its contractors, frontline workers, and temporary employees. This is equal to 7% of total end users.
Due to Edge for Business’s unmanaged device support, the composite organization reduces up to 100% of the PCs it purchases for contractors and temporary employees where it can increase BYOD.
The average cost per PC purchased is $1,200.
Results. This yields a three-year projected PV ranging from $536,000 (baseline) to $2.9 million (upside potential high).
Percentage reduction in third-party browser security extensions and solutions
| Ref. | Metric | Source | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1 | Third-party browser security extensions and solutions leveraged before adopting Edge for Business | Composite | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| B2Baseline | 25% | 25% | 25% | |||
| B2Upside low | Percentage reduction in third-party browser security extensions and solutions | Interviews and survey | 50% | 50% | 50% | |
| B2Upside high | 100% | 100% | 100% | |||
| B3 | Average cost per third-party browser security extension or solution per user per month | Composite | $3.50 | $3.50 | $3.50 | |
| B4Baseline | $168,000 | $168,000 | $168,000 | |||
| B4Upside low | Subtotal: Cost savings from reducing spending on third-party browser security extensions and solutions | B1*B2*B3*R2*12 months | $336,000 | $336,000 | $336,000 | |
| B4Upside high | $672,000 | $672,000 | $672,000 | |||
| B5 | Contractors, frontline workers, and temporary employees leveraging traditional VDI or DaaS before adopting Edge for Business | R2*R4 | 640 | 640 | 640 | |
| B6Baseline | 10% | 10% | 10% | |||
| B6Upside low | Percentage reduction in traditional VDI or DaaS use | Interviews and survey | 30% | 30% | 30% | |
| B6Upside low | 100% | 100% | 100% | |||
| B7 | Average cost of traditional VDI or DaaS per end user per month | Composite | $40 | $40 | $40 | |
| B8Baseline | $30,720 | $30,720 | $30,720 | |||
| B8Upside low | Subtotal: Cost savings from reducing spending on traditional VDI or DaaS | B5*B6*B7*12 months | $92,160 | $92,160 | $92,160 | |
| B8Upside high | $307,200 | $307,200 | $307,200 | |||
| B9 | Contractors, frontline workers, and temporary employees leveraging company-provided PCs before adopting Edge for Business | R2*R5 | 560 | 560 | 560 | |
| B10 | Hardware refresh rate | Composite | 25% | 25% | 25% | |
| B11Baseline | 10% | 10% | 10% | |||
| B11Upside low | Percentage increase in BYOD | Interviews and survey | 30% | 30% | 30% | |
| B11Upside high | 100% | 100% | 100% | |||
| B12 | Cost per PC purchased | Composite | $1,200 | $1,200 | $1,200 | |
| B13Baseline | $16,800 | $16,800 | $16,800 | |||
| B13Upside low | Subtotal: Cost savings from reduced spending on PCs with increased BYOD | B9*B10*B11*B12 | $50,400 | $50,400 | $50,400 | |
| B13Upside high | $168,000 | $168,000 | $168,000 | |||
| BtBaseline | $215,520 | $215,520 | $215,520 | |||
| BtUpside low | Cost savings | B4+B8+B13 | $478,560 | $478,560 | $478,560 | |
| BtUpside high | $1,147,200 | $1,147,200 | $1,147,200 | |||
| Three-year projected total: $646,560 to $3,441,600 | Three-year projected present value: $535,966 to $2,852,917 | |||||
Evidence and data. Interviewees explained that there were end-user productivity benefits in addition to security benefits from adopting Edge for Business. They emphasized that increasing security did not negatively impact end-user productivity and that both improved with their investments. Seventy-one percent of survey respondents also agreed that Edge for Business either had enhanced or would enhance security and improve end-user productivity. Specifically, interviewees and survey respondents tied this improved productivity to integration with Microsoft 365; built-in features like the work feed, tab management, enterprise search in the address bar; and access to protected genAI with Microsoft 365 natively available in the sidepane. With this improved productivity, end users could more quickly progress toward achieving business goals.
In conversations with Forrester, nearly all interviewees said that the browser was the most used application in their organizations. The IT director for a retail organization said, “It’s the number one application that people use for their everyday tasks.”
Most survey respondents and interviewees reported that their organizations’ end users were either realizing or expected to realize productivity benefits by leveraging Edge for Business. Specifically, 76% of survey respondents agreed that their end users had already seen or expected to see productivity improvements due to built-in productivity features. Sixty-seven percent agreed that their end users either had reduced or expected to reduce time searching for work content. And 54% agreed that their end users either had experienced or expected to experience genAI-related efficiency.
Survey respondents reported that the leading factors contributing to improved productivity included integration with Microsoft 365, Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat and other AI features built in Edge, tab grouping and workspaces, end-user familiarity with Edge, connectivity across devices, and work search (Microsoft Search) integrated into the address bar.
Interviewees discussed the productivity impact in greater detail. The VP of information security for a travel and hospitality organization explained how their company standardized on Edge for Business and achieved improved productivity with positive user feedback, saying: “The user experience is improved. The UI is more standardized. There are performance improvements, especially as we do single sign-on and a more standardized model for accessing applications. … That has been very well received by the organization. We estimated a performance benefit of 16 to 24 hours of user time annually.”
The native Microsoft integrations in Edge for Business helped make end users more productive, according to interviewees. The senior director at a consumer product goods organization said: “There is a 10% productivity gain because of Purview built-in, easy integrations, and automatic sign-on and configurations for applications. With AI, we’re expecting another 10% to 20% productivity gain across employees as they become more aware and more knowledgeable on how to use Copilot.” The director of IT for a healthcare organization said: “Productivity-wise, our end users are 30% to 35% more productive. The features like legacy applications [with Internet Explorer mode] have been good.”
Interviewees also expounded on the benefits of Microsoft 365 Copilot in Edge for Business. The VP of information security for a travel and hospitality organization said: “Users can more easily access Copilot within the context of the browser. I do [expect that to help productivity] because users will be more contextually aware.” The IT director for a healthcare organization said, “The integration with Copilot is exciting.” The chief information security officer for a financial services organization said, “Having Copilot integrated would really provide some of the capabilities out front as opposed to having the user taking action.” For more details on the benefits of Microsoft 365 Copilot, please reference The Total Economic Impact Of Microsoft 365 Copilot.9
Another productivity benefit interviewees noted was improved latency for browser applications versus traditional VDI. The managing director for a financial services organization explained: “The biggest benefit is the latency aspect. It’s much faster to access applications compared to VDI. Edge for Business is extremely fast.”
Interviewees and survey respondents also noted faster onboarding. The managing director for a financial services organizations explained how Edge for Business contributed to their ability to provision access in less than one day as compared to three to five days with traditional VDI.
Base: 127 respondents involved in decision-making related to their organizations’ enterprise browser strategies
Source: Microsoft Edge for Business Survey, a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting
Base: 127 respondents involved in decision-making related to their organizations’ enterprise browser strategies
Source: Microsoft Edge for Business Survey, a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting
Base: 127 respondents involved in decision-making related to their organizations’ enterprise browser strategies
Source: Microsoft Edge for Business Survey, a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting
Modeling and assumptions. Based on the interviews and survey, Forrester assumes the following about the composite organization:
The browser is the most used application for the composite organization’s end users, and they leverage it for 55% of their work hours.
The composite organization’s end users spend 75% of their time using the browser for work purposes and 25% of their time using it for personal purposes.
Forrester conservatively assumes that the composite can make 10% of the work-focused browser time more productive for addressable tasks such as managing tabs, accessing AI, searching for work content, and working with Microsoft 365 apps.
By adopting Edge for Business, the composite organization’s end users are up to 45% more productive on addressable tasks. This is due to integration with Microsoft 365, built-in productivity features such as tab management, AI features such as easier access to AI with the sidepane, and search features such as reduced time spent searching for work content with the search bar.
The composite organization’s end users recapture 25% of this time for productive work.
The average fully burdened hourly rate for end users is $44.
Results. This yields a three-year projected PV ranging from $2.8 million (baseline) to $8.4 million (upside potential high).
Percentage productivity improvement for addressable tasks by adopting Edge for Business
| Ref. | Metric | Source | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 | End users | R2 | 8,000 | 8,000 | 8,000 | |
| C2 | Percentage of time spent using the browser | Interviews and survey | 55% | 55% | 55% | |
| C3 | Percentage of time spent using the browser for work purposes | Interviews and survey | 75% | 75% | 75% | |
| C4 | Percentage of time spent in browser that can be made more productive with Edge for Business | Composite | 10% | 10% | 10% | |
| C5Baseline | 15% | 15% | 15% | |||
| C5Upside low | Percentage productivity improvement for addressable tasks by adopting Edge for Business | Interviews and survey | 30% | 30% | 30% | |
| C5Upside high | 45% | 45% | 45% | |||
| C6Baseline | 102,960 | 102,960 | 102,960 | |||
| C6Upside low | Subtotal: Additional browser productivity (hours) | C1*2,080 hours*C2*C3*C4*C5 | 205,920 | 205,920 | 205,920 | |
| C6Upside high | 308,880 | 308,880 | 308,880 | |||
| C7 | Productivity recapture rate | Composite | 25% | 25% | 25% | |
| C8 | Average fully burdened hourly rate for end users | R8 | $44 | $44 | $44 | |
| CtBaseline | $1,132,560 | $1,132,560 | $1,132,560 | |||
| CtUpside low | Improved end-user productivity | C6*C7*C8 | $2,265,120 | $2,265,120 | $2,265,120 | |
| CtUpside high | $3,397,680 | $3,397,680 | $3,397,680 | |||
| Three-year projected total: $3,397,680 to $10,193,040 | Three-year projected present value: $2,816,509 to $8,449,527 | |||||
Evidence and data. Interviewees found their IT teams to be more efficient after their organizations standardized on Edge for Business. Plus, they did not need to deploy the secure enterprise browser since it is inbox on Windows. Interviewees and survey respondents highlighted that their organizations could reduce the number of browsers and extensions managed, leading to greater efficiency. Furthermore, managing multiple endpoints, including the secure enterprise browser, with Intune helped IT teams operate efficiently. Overall, it helped reduce browser-related help desk tickets and the time to resolve them. Interviewees also explained that this efficiency extended beyond browser management to include time savings on PC procurement, provisioning, and shipping and on traditional VDI and DaaS management due to secure unmanaged device access enabled by Edge for Business. With this greater efficiency, IT teams focused on higher value tasks that benefited their organizations.
Interviewees and survey respondents reported that their IT teams were more efficient managing the browser after adopting Edge for Business. Sixty-one percent of survey respondents indicated that their IT team had reduced the number of browsers managed, while 71% reduced the number of third-party browser-related extensions and solutions managed. As a result, 68% indicated reduced time spent on browser management.
Interviewees elaborated on this efficiency gain and how they valued managing the browser with Intune. The senior director for a consumer product goods organization said, “Intune is our endpoint management tool, so it makes it easier for our team to manage everything in one tool.” The IT director for a retail organization said that managing Edge for Business with Intune was similar to managing their other endpoints.
By increasing BYOD adoption, interviewees and survey respondents noted improved IT management efficiency. Fifty-one percent of survey respondents indicated reduced time spent on PC procurement, provisioning, and shipping for employees and contractors.
Interviewees and 25% of survey respondents also reported time savings managing traditional VDI and/or DaaS solutions due to modernization. The managing director of a financial services organization said: “Compared to VDI, there is at least a 70% to 80% productivity gain. It’s a day and night difference.” The senior director of a consumer product goods organization said: “Setting up VDI usually took the duration of a week. With Edge for Business, it went from five days of effort down to a single day.”
Finally, interviewees and survey respondents reported help desk time savings. Forty-eight percent of survey respondents reported a reduced number of browser-related tickets, and 58% reported reduced time spent on browser-related tickets. The VP of information security for a travel and hospitality organization said: “We estimated a 20% to 30% reduction in browser-related support tickets with less support needed from conflicting plugins misconfigurations. That lets them focus on other higher value activities. It expedites response times for other tickets too.” The senior director for a consumer product goods organization said: “Over a year, our call volume related to browser-based configuration or incompatibility came down 50%. Our IT employees are more productive.”
Base: 102 respondents involved in decision-making related to their organizations’ enterprise browser strategies
Source: Microsoft Edge for Business Survey, a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting
Modeling and assumptions. Based on the interviews and survey, Forrester assumes the following about the composite organization:
Before adopting Edge for Business, the composite organization’s IT team spends just more than one-quarter of a minute per end user per month on browser management.
By adopting Edge for Business, the composite organization’s IT team can operate more efficiently by up to 45% with fewer standard browsers to manage and the ability to manage the secure enterprise browser with Intune or the Edge management service.
Before adopting Edge for Business, the composite organization’s IT team spends just under half a minute per end user per month on PC procurement, provisioning, and shipping.
By adopting Edge for Business, the composite organization’s IT team can operate more efficiently by up to 30% due to increased BYOD capabilities supported by Edge for Business.
Before adopting Edge for Business, the composite organization’s IT team spends just more than one-quarter of a minute per end user per month on traditional VDI and/or DaaS solutions management.
By adopting Edge for Business, the composite organization’s IT team can operate more efficiently, saving some of the time it previously spent managing traditional VDI or DaaS. The time saved will vary depending on the degree to which an organization has modernized and its use of web applications and Windows-based applications.
Before adopting Edge for Business, 1% of the composite organization’s end users submit a browser-related ticket to the help desk per month. The IT team spends 12 minutes per ticket.
By adopting Edge for Business, end users submit up to 50% fewer browser-related tickets due to the improved browser functionality and performance. Additionally, the help desk resolves submitted tickets up to 50% faster due to improved controls and management.
The composite organization’s IT team recaptures 50% of this time for productive work.
The average fully burdened blended hourly rate for IT staff is $60.
Results. This yields a three-year projected PV ranging from $26,000 (baseline) to $77,000 (upside potential high).
Percentage reduction in time spent on browser management with Edge for Business
| Ref. | Metric | Source | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D1 | IT staff time per end user per month for browser management before adopting Edge for Business (minutes) | Composite | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | |
| D2Baseline | 35% | 35% | 35% | |||
| D2Upside low | Percentage reduction in time spent on browser management with Edge for Business | Interviews and survey | 40% | 40% | 40% | |
| D2Upside high | 45% | 45% | 45% | |||
| D3Baseline | 168 | 168 | 168 | |||
| D3Upside low | Subtotal: Time saved per year on browser IT management (hours) | R2*(D1/60 minutes)*D2*12 months | 192 | 192 | 192 | |
| D3Upside high | 216 | 216 | 216 | |||
| D4 | IT staff time per end user per month for PC procurement, provisioning, and shipping before adopting Edge for Business (minutes) | Composite | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | |
| D5Baseline | 10% | 10% | 10% | |||
| D5Upside low | Percentage reduction in time spent on PC procurement, provisioning, and shipping for employees and contractors | Interviews and survey | 20% | 20% | 20% | |
| D5Upside high | 30% | 30% | 30% | |||
| D6Baseline | 64 | 64 | 64 | |||
| D6Upside low | Subtotal: Time saved per year on PC procurement, provisioning, and shipping for employees and contractors (hours) | R2*(D4/60 minutes)*D5*12 months | 128 | 128 | 128 | |
| D6Upside high | 192 | 192 | 192 | |||
| D7 | IT staff time per end user per month for traditional VDI or DaaS solutions management before adopting Edge for Business (minutes) | Composite | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | |
| D8Baseline | 10% | 10% | 10% | |||
| D8Upside low | Percentage reduction in time spent on traditional VDI or DaaS solutions management | Interviews and survey | 25% | 25% | 25% | |
| D8Upside high | 100% | 100% | 100% | |||
| D9Baseline | 48 | 48 | 48 | |||
| D9Upside low | Subtotal: Time saved per year on traditional VDI or DaaS solutions management (hours) | R2*(D7/60 minutes)*D8*12 months | 120 | 120 | 120 | |
| D9Upside high | 480 | 480 | 480 | |||
| D10 | Browser-related tickets per end user per month before adopting Edge for Business | Composite | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | |
| D11Baseline | 20% | 20% | 20% | |||
| D11Upside low | Percentage reduction in browser-related tickets with Edge for Business | Interviews and survey | 30% | 30% | 30% | |
| D11Upside high | 50% | 50% | 50% | |||
| D12 | IT staff time per browser-related ticket before adopting Edge for Business (minutes) | Composite | 12 | 12 | 12 | |
| D13Baseline | 20% | 20% | 20% | |||
| D13Upside low | Percentage reduction in the time spent per browser-related ticket with Edge for Business | Interviews and survey | 40% | 40% | 40% | |
| D13Upside high | 50% | 50% | 50% | |||
| D14Baseline | 69 | 69 | 69 | |||
| D14Upside low | Subtotal: Time saved per year on browser-related tickets (hours) | R2*(D10*D11*D12+D10*(1-D11)*D12*D13)/60*12 | 111 | 111 | 111 | |
| D14Upside high | 144 | 144 | 144 | |||
| D15 | Productivity recapture rate | Composite | 50% | 50% | 50% | |
| D16 | Fully burdened hourly rate for IT staff | R7 | $60 | $60 | $60 | |
| DtBaseline | $10,470 | $10,470 | $10,470 | |||
| DtUpside low | Improved IT efficiency | (D3+D6+D9+D14)*D15*D16 | $16,530 | $16,530 | $16,530 | |
| DtUpside high | $30,960 | $30,960 | $30,960 | |||
| Three-year projected total: $31,410 to $92,880 | Three-year projected present value: $26,037 to $76,993 | |||||
Evidence and data. Interviewees and survey respondents said that their organizations’ security teams operated more efficiently by adopting Edge for Business. Whereas security teams previously had multiple standard browsers with multiple third-party browser extensions and a lack of control, they were now more efficient with fewer browsers and extensions to deploy, configure, manage, and secure. Moreover, given Edge for Business’ native integration with the Microsoft ecosystem, including Microsoft Security solutions, there were increased and synergistic benefits. Security teams could continue using the same security solutions they were already using (e.g., Purview) for the enterprise browser to help ensure security continuity rather than deploying or using other solutions. With this improved efficiency, the security teams could focus on other priorities and higher value tasks.
Interviewees and survey respondents reported that their security teams spent time securing the browser. Typically, this equated to less than one minute per end user per month.
Sixty-nine percent of survey respondents agreed that Edge for Business allowed them to focus on critical tasks by reducing the time and effort needed to duplicate security measures in the browser.
Survey respondents reported a 42% percent reduction or expected reduction in time spent per month on browser security with Edge for Business.
The interviewees echoed and elaborated on this sentiment in conversations with Forrester. The IT director for a healthcare organization said, “The management console and other tools in the Microsoft ecosystem really help with the security aspect.” They explained how rolling out updates was more seamless with Edge for Business compared to a standard browser and that they were 50% more productive. Moreover, they could take that time savings and apply it to other priorities.
The interviewees also indicated that they could enhance this productivity because Edge for Business integrated with the Microsoft ecosystem, leading to better reporting with a single pane of glass. The director of IT for a healthcare organization said, “We have more information at our fingertips to make decisions.”
Base: 143 respondents involved in decision-making related to their organizations’ enterprise browser strategies
Source: Microsoft Edge for Business Survey, a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting
Modeling and assumptions. Based on the interviews and survey, Forrester assumes the following about the composite organization:
Before adopting Edge for Business, the composite organization’s security team spends just more than half a minute per end user per month on browser security.
By adopting Edge for Business, the composite organization’s security team can operate more efficiently by up to 50% with fewer standard browsers to secure and improved controls.
The composite organization’s security team recaptures 50% of this time for productive work.
The average fully burdened hourly rate for security staff is $72.
Results. This yields a three-year projected PV ranging from $17,000 (baseline) to $43,000 (upside potential high).
Percentage reduction in time spent on browser security with Edge for Business
| Ref. | Metric | Source | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E1 | Security staff time per end user per month before adopting Edge for Business (minutes) | Composite | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | |
| E2Baseline | 20% | 20% | 20% | |||
| E2Upside low | Percentage reduction in time spent on browser security with Edge for Business | Interviews and survey | 40% | 40% | 40% | |
| E2Upside high | 50% | 50% | 50% | |||
| E3Baseline | 192 | 192 | 192 | |||
| E3Upside low | Subtotal: Time saved per year on browser security management (hours) | R2*E1/60 minutes*E2*12 months | 384 | 384 | 384 | |
| E3Upside high | 480 | 480 | 480 | |||
| E4 | Productivity recapture rate | D15 | 50% | 50% | 50% | |
| E5 | Average blended fully burdened hourly rate for security staff | R6 | $72 | $72 | $72 | |
| EtBaseline | $6,912 | $6,912 | $6,912 | |||
| EtUpside low | Improved security efficiency | E3*E4*E5 | $13,824 | $13,824 | $13,824 | |
| EtUpside high | $17,280 | $17,280 | $17,280 | |||
| Three-year projected total: $20,736 to $51,840 | Three-year projected present value: $17,189 to $42,973 | |||||
Interviewees and survey respondents mentioned the following additional benefits that their organizations experienced but were not able to quantify:
Fewer vendors to manage. Because interviewees’ organizations were Microsoft customers, adopting Edge for Business did not require managing new vendors. This not only eased the adoption process but also streamlined ongoing management. The chief information technology officer for a government organization explained the value of this, saying: “There isn’t another invoice, another bill to pay, and another contract to do. There are efficiencies for the back office. The more I can consolidate, the more efficiently we can run this place.”
Ability to obtain and maintain cyber insurance. One interviewee linked the adoption of Edge for Business with a positive cyber insurance impact. The chief information technology officer for a government organization said: “We had a significant cyberattack. It was not browser-related, but to continue to obtain cyber insurance at a decent price and meet compliance and regulatory investigations and audits, browser security was one of the best practices that we needed to implement.”
Positive end-user experience. Overall, interviewees noted positive user experiences and satisfaction with Edge for Business. They cited user familiarity with the browser, easy AI access, reduced latency, quick and smooth transitions, and more. The VP of information security for a travel and hospitality organization said, “The feedback has been positive.”
The value of flexibility is unique to each customer. There are multiple scenarios in which a customer might implement Edge for Business and later realize additional uses and business opportunities, including:
Supports the move to Zero Trust. Interviewees told Forrester that Edge for Business would support their organizations’ adoption of Zero Trust with features like Microsoft Entra Conditional Access. Forrester writes that, “An enterprise browser also helps support a Zero Trust product strategy.”10 The chief information security officer for a financial services organization explained: “Edge for Business would be another avenue to control where rules and enforcements would prevent certain actions from occurring, and it would require implicit approval as opposed to just assumed access.” The IT director for a healthcare organization said, “The browser will be part of our Zero Trust plan.” The director of IT for a healthcare organization said: “Edge for Business is another tool in the toolkit from a Zero Trust perspective. It’s also one that helps us to get ahead of new changes from a security-based perspective within the Zero Trust mindset.”
Scalable and enterprise ready. Forrester spoke to interviewees from organizations with a range of end users, from 1,000 to more than 225,000. They consistently indicated that Edge for Business was enterprise ready and easy to scale with the necessary security, controls, and preconfigured settings. The chief information technology officer for a government organization said: “Edge for Business is enterprise-grade. We can go from 100 to 1,000 to 10,000 [end users] with ease.” The IT director for a retail organization said: “It’s scalable and enterprise ready without question. It’s a Microsoft solution, so it’s designed to scale with your business.”
Flexibility would also be quantified when evaluated as part of a specific project (described in more detail in Total Economic Impact Approach).
Evidence and data. Because the interviewees’ organizations were Microsoft 365 customers, there was no added cost for the advanced security and management features in Edge for Business. Contact Microsoft for details on Microsoft 365 plans and pricing. Interviewees explained that Edge for Business was the secure enterprise browser that their organizations already had available. The senior director for a consumer product goods organization said: “Another enterprise browser would cost us extra. Edge for Business is bundled with our Microsoft 365 E3 and E5 licenses.” The chief information technology officer for a government organization said, “Edge for Business is part of the Microsoft 365 G3 and G5 licenses that we are already procuring.”
Evidence and data. Interviewees told Forrester that adopting Edge for Business was simple, particularly compared to other technologies, because it was included in Windows and there was no need for deployment; however, they did require initial labor for planning, testing, training, and customizing the browser. Some interviewees’ organizations did this internally, while others leveraged a Microsoft partner. On an ongoing basis, interviewees’ organizations valued the ability to use Microsoft Intune, with which they were often already using and familiar. These investments, whether internal or external, helped maximize the benefits the interviewees’ organizations realized with Edge for Business.
| Initial | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total | Present Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total benefits – Baseline scenario | $0 | $1,519,398 | $1,519,398 | $1,519,398 | $4,558,194 | $3,778,517 |
| Total benefits – Upside potential low | $0 | $3,081,906 | $3,081,906 | $3,081,906 | $9,245,718 | $7,664,244 |
| Total benefits – Upside potential high | $0 | $5,147,290 | $5,147,290 | $5,147,290 | $15,441,870 | $12,800,549 |
The financial results calculated in the Benefits section can be used to determine the projected PV for the composite organization’s investment. Forrester assumes a yearly discount rate of 10% for this analysis.
The initial investment column contains costs incurred at “time 0” or at the beginning of Year 1 that are not discounted. All other cash flows are discounted using the discount rate at the end of the year. PV calculations are calculated for each total cost and benefit estimate. Sums and present value calculations of the Total Benefits and Cash Flow tables may not exactly add up, as some rounding may occur.
From the information provided in the interviews, and using the survey to corroborate data gathered in the interviews, Forrester constructed a New Technology: Projected Total Economic Impact™ (New Tech TEI) framework for those organizations considering an investment in Edge for Business.
The objective of the framework is to identify the cost, benefit, flexibility, and risk factors that affect the investment decision. Forrester took a multistep approach to evaluate the projected impact that Edge for Business can have on an organization.
Interviewed Microsoft stakeholders and Forrester analysts to gather data relative to Edge for Business.
Interviewed eight decision-makers and surveyed 215 respondents at organizations using Edge for Business in a pilot or beta stage to obtain data about projected costs, benefits, and risks.
Designed a composite organization based on characteristics of the interviewees’ and survey respondents’ organizations.
Constructed a projected financial model representative of the interviews, using the survey data to corroborate what customers said in the interviews. The financial model was risk-adjusted based on issues and concerns of the interviewees and survey respondents
Employed four fundamental elements of New Tech TEI in modeling the investment’s potential impact: benefits, costs, flexibility, and risks. Given the increasing sophistication of financial analyses related to IT investments, Forrester’s TEI methodology provides a complete picture of the total economic impact of purchase decisions. Please see Appendix A for additional information on the TEI methodology.
Projected benefits represent the projected value the solution delivers to the business. The New Tech TEI methodology places equal weight on the measure of projected benefits and projected costs, allowing for a full examination of the solution’s effect on the entire organization.
Projected costs comprise all expenses necessary to deliver the proposed value, or benefits, of the solution. The methodology captures implementation and ongoing costs associated with the solution.
Flexibility represents the strategic value that can be obtained for some future additional investment building on top of the initial investment already made. The ability to capture that benefit has a PV that can be estimated.
Risks measure the uncertainty of benefit and cost estimates given: 1) the likelihood that estimates will meet original projections and 2) the likelihood that estimates will be tracked over time. TEI risk factors are based on “triangular distribution.”
The present or current value of (discounted) cost and benefit estimates given at an interest rate (the discount rate).
The projected present or current value of (discounted) future net cash flows given an interest rate (the discount rate). A positive project NPV normally indicates that the investment should be made unless other projects have higher NPVs.
A project’s expected return in percentage terms. ROI is calculated by dividing net benefits (benefits less costs) by costs.
The interest rate used in cash flow analysis to take into account the time value of money. Organizations typically use discount rates between 8% and 16%.
New Technology: Projected Total Economic Impact (New Tech TEI) is a methodology developed by Forrester Research that enhances a company’s technology decision-making processes and assists solution providers in communicating their value proposition to clients. The New Tech TEI methodology helps companies demonstrate, justify, and realize the tangible value of business and technology initiatives to both senior management and other key stakeholders.
| ROLE* | |
|---|---|
| Manager | 44% |
| Director | 30% |
| Vice president | 14% |
| C-level executive | 12% |
| *All respondents were the final decisionmakers, part of teams making decisions, or influenced decisions related to their organizations’ enterprise browser strategies |
| INDUSTRY | |
|---|---|
| Retail | 13% |
| Financial services and/or insurance | 11% |
| Technology and/or technology services | 8% |
| Manufacturing and materials | 7% |
| Telecommunications services | 7% |
| Consumer product goods | 6% |
| Media and/or leisure | 6% |
| Advertising and/or marketing | 5% |
| Energy, utilities, and/or waste management | 5% |
| Healthcare | 5% |
| Transportation and logistics | 5% |
| Government | 4% |
| Agriculture, food, and/or beverage | 4% |
| Electronics | 4% |
| Business or professional services | 3% |
| Travel and hospitality | 3% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Chemicals and/or metals | 1% |
| Consumer services | 1% |
| Education | 0.5% |
| Nonprofits | 0.5% |
| REGION | |
|---|---|
| United States | 54% |
| Canada | 28% |
| United Kingdom | 18% |
| EMPLOYEES | |
|---|---|
| 20,000 or more employees | 28% |
| 5,000 to 19,999 employees | 31% |
| 1,000 to 4,999 employees | 40% |
| MICROSOFT 365 PLAN | |
|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 E5 | 82% |
| Microsoft 365 E3 | 55% |
Related Forrester Research
Paddy Harrington, Predictions 2026: Cybersecurity And Risk Leaders Grapple With New Tech And Geopolitical Threats, Forrester Blogs.
Budget Planning Guide 2026: Security And Risk, Forrester Research, Inc., July 10, 2025.
Endpoint Security Market Insights, 2025, Forrester Research, Inc., March 26, 2025.
The State Of Bring Your Own Device, 2024, Forrester Research, Inc., November 14, 2024.
The Guide To Data Security Controls, Forrester Research, Inc., July 25, 2024.
Leading Practices To Secure The Anywhere-Work Browser, Forrester Research, Inc., February 8, 2024.
Securing The Browser In The World Of Anywhere Work, Forrester Research, Inc., November 3, 2022.
How To Secure Your Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Deployment, Forrester Research, Inc., April 13, 2022.
1 Source: Forrester’s Digital Workplace And Employee Technology Survey, 2025, “How much of your work can be accomplished through a web browser?” Base: 1,897 full time/part time employees who use a computer for work purposes.
2 Source: The Forrester Tech Tide™: End-User Computing, Q2 2025, Forrester Research, Inc., April 25, 2025.
3 Total Economic Impact is a methodology developed by Forrester Research that enhances a company’s technology decision-making processes and assists solution providers in communicating their value proposition to clients. The TEI methodology helps companies demonstrate, justify, and realize the tangible value of business and technology initiatives to both senior management and other key stakeholders.
4 Source: The Definition Of Modern Zero Trust, Forrester Research, Inc., April 22, 2024.
5 Source: The Forrester Tech Tide™: End-User Computing, Q2 2025, Forrester Research, Inc., April 25, 2025.
6 Regression analysis of the reported total cumulative costs of all breaches experienced by security decision-makers’ organizations in the past 12 months. The composite organization’s revenue is used as the input to the regression formula. Source: Forrester’s Security Survey, 2024, “Using your best estimate, what was the total cumulative cost of all breaches experienced by your organization in the past 12 months?” Base: 1,660 global security decision-makers who have experienced a breach in the past 12 months.
7 Regression analysis of the likelihood of experiencing one or more breaches, using the frequency that organizations experienced breaches in the past 12 months as reported by security decision-makers. The composite organization’s revenue is used as the input to the regression formula. Source: Forrester’s Security Survey, 2024, “How many times do you estimate that your organization’s sensitive data was potentially compromised or breached in the past 12 months?” Base: 2,769 global security decision-makers.
8 Percentage of breaches by primary attack vector for breaches, as reported by security decision-makers whose organizations experienced at least one breach in the past 12 months. Source: Forrester’s Security Survey, 2024, “Of the times that your organization’s sensitive data was potentially compromised or breached in the past 12 months, please indicate how many of each fall into the categories below.” Base: 1,542 global security decision-makers who have experienced a breach in the past 12 months.
9 Source: “The Total Economic Impact Of Microsoft 365 Copilot,” a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Microsoft, March 2025.
10 Source: Paddy Harrington, Tremors Originating From A California Ripple In The Enterprise Browser Market, Forrester Blogs.
Readers should be aware of the following:
This study is commissioned by Microsoft and delivered by Forrester Consulting. It is not meant to be used as a competitive analysis.
Forrester makes no assumptions as to the potential benefits that other organizations will receive. Forrester strongly advises that readers use their own estimates within the framework provided in the study to determine the appropriateness of an investment in Edge for Business. For any interactive functionality, the intent is for the questions to solicit inputs specific to a prospect’s business. Forrester believes that this analysis is representative of what companies may achieve with Edge for Business based on the inputs provided and any assumptions made. Forrester does not endorse Microsoft or its offerings. Although great care has been taken to ensure the accuracy and completeness of this model, Microsoft and Forrester Research are unable to accept any legal responsibility for any actions taken on the basis of the information contained herein. The interactive tool is provided ‘AS IS,’ and Forrester and Microsoft make no warranties of any kind.
Microsoft reviewed and provided feedback to Forrester, but Forrester maintains editorial control over the study and its findings and does not accept changes to the study that contradict Forrester’s findings or obscure the meaning of the study.
Microsoft provided the customer names for the interviews but did not participate in the interviews.
Forrester fielded the double-blind survey using a third-party survey partner.
Andrew Nadler
Marianne Friis
Luca Son
October 2025
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