Microsoft to Retire All but One Internet Explorer Version in January

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Everyone move to Internet Explorer 11, Microsoft says

Windows 10 comes with Microsoft Edge, a completely new browser that’s supposed to replace Internet Explorer and give the Redmond-based tech giant a new chance in the fight against rivals such as Google and Mozilla, which are already dominating this side of the market.

And since Edge has been quite well received, Microsoft can now go further with its plan to get rid of Internet Explorer. As a result, the company has recently announced that, in January 2016, several Internet Explorer versions will be retired, as it wants to concentrate its efforts on the newest release and Microsoft Edge.

Specifically, only Internet Explorer 11 will continue to receive updates, as it’s the latest version of the browser that works on Windows editions that are still supported, such as 7, 8.1, and 10. Users on all these versions can update to Internet Explorer 11, and if they do, they can continue receiving patches and security improvements just like before.

No new features

Every time a new software product is about to reach the end of support, Microsoft points to the security risks of not updating, and the company does exactly the same thing now with Internet Explorer.

“After January 12, 2016, Microsoft will no longer provide security updates or technical support for older versions of Internet Explorer. Security updates patch vulnerabilities that may be exploited by malware, helping to keep users and their data safer. Regular security updates help protect computers from malicious attacks, so upgrading and staying current is important,” it says.

But even though Redmond recommends users to install Internet Explorer 11, it’s pretty clear that this browser can no longer be a good choice in the long run. IE won’t receive any new features anymore, and Microsoft will only fix security issues and offer small optimizations, but the focus will be entirely on Edge browser.

So even if you plan to update to Internet Explorer 11, you should also consider either switching to a third-party app or to Windows 10 and Microsoft Edge, which will both receive updates and improvements for many years from now.

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