Microsoft to unplug Internet Explorer next year as it seeks edge in browser war
Microsoft Corp is pulling the plug on its once omnipresent browser, Internet Explorer, next year as it prepares to battle market leader Chrome with its
slicker Edge browser.
Launched in 1995, Internet Explorer became the dominant browser for over a decade as it was bundled with Microsoft’s Windows operating system that came pre-installed in billions of computers.
For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The browser, however, started losing out to Google’s Chrome in the late 2000s and has become a subject of countless internet memes for its sluggishness in comparison to its rivals.
To compete better, Microsoft launched the Edge browser in 2015 that runs on the same technology as the Google browser.
As of April, Chrome has a 65 percent share of the global browser market, followed by Apple Inc’s Safari, with an 18 percent share, according to web analytics firm Statcounter. Microsoft Edge has a 3 percent share, while Internet Explorer has a miniscule share of the market it once dominated.
The Windows software maker said on Wednesday the future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10 was in its faster and more secure Microsoft Edge.
“Internet Explorer 11 desktop application will be retired and go out of support on June 15, 2022, for certain versions of Windows 10,” the company said in a blog post.
The browser was at the heart of an antitrust case against Microsoft more than two decades ago, with a US judge deciding that the software titan had broken the law after it combined Internet Explorer and the Windows operating system.
The most serious violations of the law were upheld on appeal, but the company continued to bundle its operating system and browser.
Read more: Microsoft says ransom-seeking hackers taking advantage of mail server flaws
Also Read
-
Microsoft to invest $1 bln in Malaysian cloud, hyperscale datacenter project
Microsoft Corporation will invest $1 billion over the next five years in Malaysia as part of a new partnership program with government agencies and ... Technology -
US urges agencies to apply patches to Microsoft servers
The US national security official in charge of cybersecurity on Tuesday told all government agencies to urgently apply new software patches from ... Technology -
White House task force met to discuss Microsoft Corp’s Exchange security weaknesses
The White House’s task force looking into the recent hack of Microsoft Corp’s Exchange met this week with representatives of the private sector, White ... World News -
Microsoft to acquire AI firm Nuance for $19.7 bln
Microsoft will acquire artificial intelligence and cloud computing company Nuance for $19.7 billion, bolstering its healthcare offerings, the tech ... Technology -
Microsoft says ransom-seeking hackers taking advantage of mail server flaws
Ransom-seeking hackers have begun taking advantage of a recently disclosed flaw in Microsoft’s widely used mail server software, the company said ... Technology -
Microsoft email hack raises US government's concerns
Newly discovered flaws in Microsoft Corp.’s software for email have raised concerns at the highest levels of the US government, which is urging users ... Technology
