Adobe Systems Inc. has revealed today that it is offering a preview of its BroserLab service, which allows web developers to test how their site will rendered in a number of different browsers running on several operating systems. The service is still in beta and the preview version will be free for now but that will change at some point in the future.

BrowserLab is a web-based service and it is the realization of the technology code-named Meer Meer that Adobe previewed last year. It uses virtualization to show web designers how a site will look like in popular browsers and operating systems. The number of browsers and operating systems is expected to grow in time but for now the full list is: Firefox 2 and 3 running on Windows XP and OS X, Internet Explorer 6 and 7 running on Windows XP and Safari on OS X. The service can be used on a Mac or a PC with the Adobe Flash 10 plugin installed.

“Cross-browser testing has been one of the biggest challenges for Web designers because it is such an arduous and time-intensive task,” said Lea Hickman, director, Creative Solutions Business Unit at Adobe. “Now with Adobe BrowserLab, designers have a simple solution that enables comprehensive browser compatibility testing in just a matter of minutes, leaving Web designers with more time to be creative and deliver the high-impact sites customers are demanding.”

The tool is aimed at freelance web designers or small web design firms that wouldn't have the capabilities to test the sites they build on all these browsers and systems in-house. Microsoft showed, earlier this year, a similar tool that was also web based and which is expected to be launched in the future. For now, the Redmond company has made available a standalone utility that will show how pages are rendered in Internet Explorer 6, 7 and 8.

“We hear from many design shops who simply don’t have the resources to be able to support all the browsers and it’s very difficult for them to be able to standardize designs which can be damaging to a brand,” said Melissa Webster, vice president and program lead for IDC's Content and Digital Media Technologies Research Team. “Adobe BrowserLab is a simple solution that can empower the designer and be a big cost savings to the client.”