Microsoft is ending support for older versions of Internet Explorer, as the company turns its focus to new browser Microsoft Edge.
Microsoft is ending support for older versions of its Internet Explorer browser, encouraging Windows users to upgrade to the newest version or begin using new browser Microsoft Edge.
From today, January 12, only Internet Explorer 11 will continue to receive technical support and security updates, while 8, 9 and 10 will lose upgrades.
If you’re an owner of one of the 200 million devices currently running Windows 10, you’ll already be using new browser Microsoft Edge. If IE 8, 9 or 10 is your browser of choice, Microsoft is encouraging you to upgrade in order to avoid malicious attacks made possible through vulnerabilities the older browsers may experience once they are no longer regularly updated.
IE 11 will keep receiving security updates for the duration of Windows 7, 8.1 and 10.
Microsoft announced the demise of IE back in March, ending 19 years of browser history. Project Spartan, now known as Edge, was hailed as a fresh start, following years of negative coverage as IE was overtaken by faster, more efficient rivals including Google’s Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.
“This change in name is going to bring with it a raft of psychological improvements for users. Internet Explorer, and referring to it as ‘IE’, generally elicits groans across the board, even with people outside of tech communities. It’s just got negative connotations nowadays, and it will be interesting to see the changes the new name will bring for the brand,” said Jason Liggi, a developer at digital agency Rawnet at the time.
