When I first heard of Ulaa, Zoho’s new Chromium-based browser built with enterprises in mind, I wasn’t sure what to expect. After all, how different could a browser really be?
I recently sat down with Veerakumar Natarajan, Regional Manager – East Africa for Zoho, to learn more about Ulaa and what it offers.
As he spoke about Ulaa it became clear that this wasn’t just another product. It was a bold attempt to redesign the web browser, a fundamental workplace tool in the digital age.
“You name them, Chrome, Safari, Firefox, they’re all built for consumers,” Veerakumar said. “No one has ever built a browser specifically for enterprises in Africa.”
This was a bold claim, but one that makes sense the deeper you look at it. As businesses across Kenya continue to adopt tools like email, CRMs, and ERPs, their access point, which is the browser, is often a weak link when it comes to security and control.
So What Is Ulaa?
Ulaa looks and feels like any modern browser. It is fast, simple, and lightweight. But under the hood, it’s something entirely different. It gives companies control over what users access, how long they use it and what can be downloaded or shared.
You can use Ulaa as a normal browser, but for enterprise users, it costs Ksh 129 per user, per month. This gives you enterprise-grade browsing tools within reach of even small and medium businesses.
“Even if you’re working from your home laptop, the moment you log into Ulaa Enterprise, your company’s browsing policies apply,” Veerakumar explained. “It’s like bringing your office security with you, wherever you are.”
One of Ulaa’s most surprising features? It adapts to your working style. The browser ships with different modes:
- Developer Mode for engineers
- Kids Mode that blocks adult content
- Work Mode for work-related tasks
- Personal Mode for everyday browsing
Whether you’re switching between tasks or devices, Ulaa is built to flex with you.
Privacy and Protection First
Veerakumar was especially proud of Ulaa’s security layers. “This isn’t just about blocking pop-ups,” he said. “You can restrict screenshots, block downloads, and even prevent malicious attachments from being opened, all at the browser level.”
He shared how organisations can use Ulaa to enforce device-specific rules. Someone in the marketing team may be allowed to access Instagram, while someone in finance won’t.
And because it’s powered by Zia AI, the browser actively learns user behavior, alerts admins about anomalies, and blocks phishing attempts before users even notice.
Supports Chrome Extensions
Ulaa supports all Chrome-compatible extensions, making the transition seamless.
“We’re not asking people to relearn browsing,” Veerakumar said. “We’re just giving IT teams control they’ve never had before without sacrificing usability.”
Why Now?
Zoho has always taken a different approach to expansion in Africa, including pricing in local currencies, avoiding data reselling, and building ground-up integrations for markets like Kenya.
That same thinking led to Ulaa. “Most African SMEs don’t have huge IT budgets. They can’t afford complex firewalls or endpoint security tools,” Veerakumar said. “With Ulaa, you don’t need those. You just need the browser.”
One Platform
Ulaa is just the beginning. Veerakumar hinted at a future where Zoho could ship entire laptops pre-installed with a Zoho-powered operating system, browser, email, productivity suite, and security, all in one.
“It’s about giving businesses a ready-made stack,” he said. “From the browser to the CRM to the invoice, everything integrated, everything secure.”
For Kenyan businesses navigating hybrid work, BYOD policies, and growing data regulations, Ulaa might be the most important browser you’ve never heard of.
Download Ula for Free from Zoho (https://ulaa.zoho.com/)
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