Do you remember Internet Explorer? Probably the first browser used by millions of people until Chrome was developed in 2008 under the guidance of Sundar Pichai, the current CEO of Google. Well from being the first browser for many it has become one of the least used browsers and has been overshadowed by Microsoft’s Chromium-based browser Edge. Hence, it was the only right decision to bid adieu to Internet Explorer as Apple replaced Netscape Navigator with Safari years ago.
Microsoft has announced that it will be retiring Internet Explorer on June 15, 2022. This was first seen on the blog post drafted by Sean Lyndersay who also is the partner group manager for Microsoft Edge. Lyndersay stated that this had been coming for a long time and it was time for a transition of all the IE users to Microsoft’s Chromium-based Edge. He also explained that Edge was easier, swifter, and most importantly more secured than most of the web browsers used today.
Microsoft Edge includes an IE Mode module that will help users to run the legacy websites which seem to work better on IE than Edge. The support for this module on Windows, Client, and Internet of Things will be available till 2029. Also, it is important to note that the Internet Explorer End of Support for Microsoft 365 is scheduled for 17 August 2021. The IE 11 desktop will be retired Windows 10 Client SKUs on version 20H2 and later.
Lyndersay has asked all individuals and companies using Internet Explorer to adapt to Microsoft Edge and assured that the transition will be easy and smooth. For Individuals, it is very simple as they must install Edge on their system. The next step would be to migrate passwords, bookmarks, and other settings from IE to Edge using Microsoft’s Import Guide.
As far as organizations are concerned, the transition can be a bit difficult because the legacy applications used by many companies are based on Internet Explorer modules. It would be difficult and expensive to upgrade all the applications to Edge or develop new ones. Thus the only option remaining is to use the IE mode in Microsoft Edge which allows old apps and websites to function as they used to in IE. This will make the transition simpler but with a time boundation of 7 years as this mode would become obsolete in 2029.
For organizations, it is important to understand the IE Mode, then read the Startup guide and Configure the IE mode on their systems. Click on the respective links to open Microsoft guides for the same,