Google Chrome: Sign of browsers to come?

Google’s Chrome browser may be a harbinger of changes to browsers brought about by SaaS applications and online services. As script-based tools and plugins become more important, browsers are beginning to address the performance of applications run within them as differentiators. This reflects a general trend toward integration of IT and networking, and a specific goal of both portal and software players to offer applications all or partly based on online software loaded into a browser. There will be major upgrades to other browsers this fall to improve application performance, so it is not clear that Google’s trend-setting will benefit it for long.