Microsoft researchers have developed the prototype of a client-side architecture that would replace the Web browser with a much more secure virtualized environment that isolates Web applications.

Called Embassies, the technology would have applications run in low-level, native-code containers that would use Internet addresses for all external communications with applications. The architecture is based on the notion of a "pico-datacenter," a client-side version of a shared server datacenter.

via Microsoft eyes ditching browser for secure Web apps ( – Software – Security ).

Fascinating.