Remember those days? As you fired up the dial-up and clicked that little icon of promise back when the web was called ‘The Net’. It seemed to be a nicer place. There were no social media slinging matches and the word viral was still a medical term. Wikipedia was simply something you ordered on CD ROM and influencers, blissfully, didn’t exist. In 1995, there were less than 40 million web users worldwide. Today, there are almost 2 billion. To give you perspective, Facebook is 15 times larger than the entire internet when Internet Explorer first appeared.
Originally issued in 1995, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer was the preferred browser application for most early surfers. While some opted for rival Netscape, IE quickly became the favoured browser. Its peak performance came in 2003-2004 when it was estimated as having roughly 90% of the market share. As the internet evolved, so did the competition.
Today, the application has not only reached its limits in terms of viability for the modern online experience, but it has also been outshone by newer and smarter browser applications including Edge, Chrome, Firefox and Safari. Outmoded applications can also cause security issues and vulnerabilities, so, unfortunately, retirement is imminent.
When will Internet Explorer reach end of life?
Internet Explorer was a viable browser for early websites and evolved in keeping with web development and enhancements – to a point. In an official statement from Mircosoft, it has been announced that the Internet Explorer 11 desktop application will be retired and go out of support on June 15, 2022, for certain versions of Windows 10.
Microsoft ended support for Internet Explorer 11 for the Microsoft Teams web app last year, and it will be cut off from other Microsoft services later this year. By August 17th, 2021, Internet Explorer 11 will no longer be supported by Microsoft’s online services like Office 365, OneDrive, Outlook and more.
Edge to take over from Explorer
Microsoft Edge first appeared in 2015, marking the beginning of the end for Internet Explorer.
As Microsoft explains, “Microsoft Edge is the only browser with built-in compatibility for legacy Internet Explorer-based websites and applications, including support for functionality like ActiveX controls. Microsoft Edge is also built on the Chromium project – the technology that powers many of today’s browsers. With the dual-engine advantage, you get the best of web, both past and future.”
Internet Explorer, it’s been fun. If you’d like to honour this world-changing application, forget a minute’s silence. While you can’t access the internet in 1995, here’s a fun video that’ll take you back to the grey glory days of the world wide web.
Want to know more?
If your system needs software upgrades and you’re not sure where to start, Evologic is here for managed IT solutions and support. We can answer any questions you might have about Microsoft updates and applications. Contact us or call 1300 887 778.
