Starting with the remote browser
A remote browser runs on a computer in a data centre instead of directly on your own device. You see and control the browser through a streamed connection, while websites are opened inside that remote environment.
To provide this service, SafeJAM uses cloud-based computers called instances. Each instance supplies the processing power and memory needed to run a browser for a customer. Several similarly configured instances are organised into a fleet.
Different fleets can support different browser types, instance sizes, or geographic locations. When you choose a product and location, your session must be placed on a suitable instance in the matching fleet.
What is an on-demand fleet?
An on-demand fleet is a group of cloud instances that can be started or expanded when customers need them. When nobody is waiting for or using that fleet, its capacity can be reduced and the fleet can eventually be stopped.
This differs from keeping every possible instance running all day and night in anticipation of a customer. A continuously warm fleet may be able to accept a connection immediately, but idle instances still consume cloud resources and incur costs even when they are doing no useful work.
"On-demand" therefore describes how the underlying browser capacity is provided. It does not mean that a stopped fleet becomes ready instantaneously. Starting cloud infrastructure, preparing an instance, and making it available for a secure connection takes time.
What is an on-demand session?
An on-demand session is an individual Remote Browser purchase for a selected product, duration, and location. It gives you access to a temporary remote browsing environment without requiring a recurring subscription.
The session is the browser experience reserved for you. The fleet is the pool of cloud infrastructure from which that experience is supplied. Your purchase creates demand for the appropriate fleet, and the service prepares or allocates capacity for your session.
Once capacity is ready, you can connect and use the remote browser for the time included in your purchase. When the session ends, its temporary browsing environment is removed rather than becoming a permanent computer or browser profile.
Why we offer capacity on demand
Keeping unused cloud computers running has an environmental cost. Servers require electricity to operate, data centres require energy for cooling and supporting equipment, and idle capacity uses those resources without serving a customer.
On-demand operation allows us to align more of our active infrastructure with real customer demand. It does not remove the environmental impact of cloud computing, but it helps us avoid running every fleet at full capacity when nobody is using it.
There is also a direct financial consideration. Cloud providers charge for computing capacity while it is running. If we maintained idle instances for every product and region at all times, those costs would still exist and would have to be reflected in our prices.
Starting and scaling capacity as it is needed helps us control that overhead. This makes it more practical to offer a choice of session types and locations while keeping on-demand purchases affordable.
What to expect after purchasing
If suitable capacity is already running and available, the fleet will report at least one 'ready' instance. Connecting to a 'ready' instance takes less than two minutes to connect (usually around 1 minute).
If the matching on-demand fleet is stopped, starting, or currently busy, you will need to wait while capacity is prepared for your purchase.
Your profile shows the current state and checks it automatically:
- Capacity Pending means the service is starting or allocating an instance for you. The interface shows that this normally takes around five minutes, but this is an estimate rather than a guaranteed waiting time.
- Capacity Available means your reserved capacity is 'ready' and the Connect Now button is enabled.
- Request Capacity can appear when no preparation request is currently active. Select it to ask the service to prepare capacity for your valid purchase.
- Fleet Unavailable — Support Notified means the fleet cannot currently fulfil the request. The interface will prevent a connection attempt while the fleet is unavailable.
The page checks capacity approximately every ten seconds, so you do not need to repeatedly refresh it. Leave the profile open and wait for Connect Now to become available. Time spent waiting for capacity is not counted as active streaming usage.
Capacity is shared infrastructure and requests are handled in order. If several customers request the same cold or busy fleet, some may remain pending while earlier reservations receive newly available instances. Actual preparation time can also be affected by the cloud provider and demand in the selected region. We work hard behind the scenese to minimise issues and wait times, and can increase 'ready' instances during busy periods.
During and after the session
Selecting Connect Now opens the remote browser when your capacity is ready. The website runs remotely, while its display is streamed to your device and your keyboard and mouse input is sent back to the session.
An on-demand purchase provides browser session time, not ownership of the underlying instance. Instance are terminated and destoyed after use, and new instance capacity may be provisioned. Idle on-demand fleets may be scaled down or stopped when they are no longer needed. When you start another session later, capacity may need to be prepared again.
For the smoothest experience, purchase before the moment you need to begin time-sensitive work and allow for a possible startup period. Keep the profile page open while capacity is pending, and connect only when the button confirms that capacity is available.
Thank you for understanding our approach
We are grateful to customers who take the time to understand how Remote Browser is delivered. The short wait that can accompany an on-demand session allows us to avoid keeping unnecessary computers running, control infrastructure costs, and offer more useful choices without building the full cost of permanently idle capacity into every purchase.
Thank you for your patience while capacity is prepared and for understanding why we offer the service in this way.