FAQ
This FAQ answers common questions about io.Connect, an enterprise interoperability platform for integrating web, desktop, native, and legacy applications. Learn how io.Connect enables browser-native, zero-install integration, supports progressive application modernisation, and scales securely across large organisations.
io.Connect is an interoperability platform for integrating web, desktop, native, and legacy applications.
It is delivered as a set of tightly integrated components:
Together, these components enable organisations to deploy interoperability quickly, scale securely, and modernise application estates without disrupting end users.
io.Connect is neither a proprietary browser nor a desktop container.
io.Connect Browser runs inside standard enterprise browsers such as Chromium, Edge, Safari, Firefox, and Island. It does not replace the browser and does not require a container to be installed on end-user devices.
No. io.Connect Browser requires zero end-user installation.
There is:
- No desktop runtime
- No proprietary browser
- No endpoint software to install, patch, or maintain
This is a fundamental architectural difference from container-based interoperability platforms.
Many so-called browser interoperability solutions are actually desktop containers that have been disguised as browsers.
io.Connect Browser is genuinely browser-native. It runs inside the existing enterprise browser rather than requiring a separate runtime to be installed and managed on every device.
Yes. io.Connect integrates native and legacy applications without installing software on end-user devices.
For io.Connect Browser, this is achieved using io.Bridge. For io.Connect Desktop, no additional components are required.
io.Connect supports:
- Web applications
- Native desktop applications
- Legacy thick-client applications
- Applications running across multiple machines or environments
Applications do not need to be rewritten, repackaged, or migrated into a proprietary container to participate in interoperable workflows.
io.Connect Browser runs in any modern enterprise browser on any supported operating system.
io.Connect Desktop supports Windows and macOS.
Many customers choose to develop on macOS and deploy to Windows.
io.Connect enables incremental modernisation without “big bang” migrations.
Organisations can:
- Deliver new workflows rapidly using zero-install io.Connect Browser
- Continue accessing remaining legacy systems via io.Bridge
- Modernise applications one screen or workflow at a time
This avoids forced migration to a new runtime or application model.
Yes. io.Manager provides centralised management and control for io.Connect deployments.
io.Manager allows organisations to:
- Manage thousands of users and applications
- Version-control applications
- Deploy updates to specific users or groups
- Define user and application preferences
- Monitor applications and perform diagnostics
- Build enterprise application stores
All capabilities are also available via APIs.
io.Manager includes built-in support for:
- Basic authentication
- Auth0
- Okta
- Custom authentication providers
This allows io.Connect to integrate cleanly with existing enterprise identity and access-control systems.
io.Connect is language-agnostic by design.
It supports:
- Any web technology stack
- A broad range of native and legacy application languages
- Mixed browser, desktop, and multi-machine environments
Interoperability is based on runtime capabilities and communication patterns, not a prescribed language or a hard-wired framework.
io.Insights provides built-in observability for the io.Connect platform.
It emits OpenTelemetry (OTel) metrics, logs, and traces from:
- io.Connect Browser
- io.Connect Desktop
- Platform services
Telemetry can be consumed using industry-standard tools such as Grafana and Jaeger.
io.Insights monitors three core areas:
Platform Health & Performance
- Startup times
- Error rates
- Crash and restart events
- CPU and memory utilisation
- Telemetry pipeline health
Application & Workspace Performance
- Application startup times
- Crash and error rates
- Resource consumption
- Workspace load and render times
User Journey & Experience
- Workspace success rates
- Inter-application call latency
- User session behaviour
- Workflow bottlenecks
This provides visibility into whether interoperable workflows are actually working for users, not just whether applications are running.
io.Connect has been deployed in massive-scale organisations and mission-critical enterprise environments.
Its architecture:
- Leverages existing browsers and infrastructure
- Uses open standards for observability
- Supports centralised management without forced vendor lock-in
io.Connect is an architectural interoperability layer, not a vendor-controlled runtime or application container.
It:
- Runs inside existing browsers
- Requires zero end-user installation
- Does not force applications into a proprietary container or marketplace
- Supports progressive modernisation and open observability
This fundamentally changes deployment speed, operational risk, and long-term flexibility.