Island began operations in Australia and expanded its enterprise workspace platform to Australia and New Zealand as organizations increase their use of web-based applications and AI tools.
The company is positioning the product as an enterprise-ready replacement for consumer web browsers, and the platform is built from the ground up for enterprise environments, with governance and security controls built into the tools employees use every day.
The announcement comes as Australian organizations increase spending on AI and related software, while security and governance remain key concerns. ADAPT research shows that CIOs are increasingly interested in AI agents and development platforms, while continuing to focus on data security and governance.
ADAPT found that 77% of CIOs plan to invest in AI agents and 61% in AI development platforms. Additionally, 56% reported that they listed data security and governance as a top priority. At the same time, 46% of organizations surveyed are still in the “emerging” stage of AI maturity.
browser focus
Eiland argues that the browser has become the primary work environment as more applications move to SaaS delivery and employees rely on web services for daily tasks. The platform is designed to provide visibility and compliance management as organizations deploy AI tools, SaaS applications, and other web-based services.
Steve Tchejeyan, President of Island, said: “Island has grown rapidly as organizations around the world realize that the browser has become the new operating environment for work.”
Chejeyan said Australia and New Zealand are priority markets as companies balance innovation goals with governance and security requirements.
“Australia and New Zealand are important markets for us given their strength in the enterprise space and the increasing focus on enabling innovation and productivity while maintaining strong governance and security. We are excited to offer Island’s enterprise platform to Australian organizations as they take the next stage of digital and AI-driven work,” he said.
local leadership
Nick Lennon has been appointed Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand. He said the local expansion reflects demand from organizations to enable staff to use modern tools without relying on unofficial workarounds.
“Companies today face a fundamental challenge: Employees need open access to web applications, SaaS tools, and AI to work effectively, but traditional security approaches create friction that slows them down or leads them to unapproved workarounds,” Lennon said.
Island says it integrates security, governance and productivity functions into the same workspace, and links that approach to how enterprises decide on access to web applications and AI services.
“Island solves this problem by building security, governance and productivity directly into the workspaces that employees already use, allowing organizations to securely embrace modern ways of working rather than discourage them by default,” Lennon said.
Customers and fields
Eiland reported rapid global growth and said large organizations across financial services, healthcare, retail and public sectors are adopting the company’s platform. He also said six of the world’s largest U.S. banks use the platform.
In Australia, Eiland said it was already working with customers and partners in healthcare, financial services and retail. Western Health in Victoria was one of the first organizations in Australia to be named as an adopter.
Mr. Island also highlighted the company’s IT priorities, including distributed work environments, the use of cloud applications, and AI-driven workflows. The platform said it is focused on helping organizations meet their sensitive data protection and governance obligations as they expand their use of SaaS and web services.
Island plans to grow its presence in Australia and New Zealand through local customers and partnerships across key industry sectors.
