Microsoft announces today that starting January 12, 2016, will kill support for older versions of Internet Explorer, pushing users to only stay in the latest supported versions of the internet software. It all basically means that in order to keep receiving technical support and security updates Windows 7 SP1 and Windows 8 users will have to be updated to Internet Explorer 11 by the deadline.
The tech giant also states that “After January 12, 2016, only the most recent version of Internet Explorer available for a supported operating system will receive technical support and security updates.” Meaning that if a newer version becomes available, such as Internet Explorer 12, and it supports Windows 7 SP1, users must upgrade. In the case of Windows Vista SP2, users must be upgraded to Internet Explorer 11, if a newer version of the software isn’t available.
Moving forward Microsoft recommends to enable automatic update to ensure computers get upgrade to the latest version of the web browser. You can also upgrade manually using the standalone installer of IE 11 found at this Microsoft web page.
Although, it may seem Microsoft is forcing users to migrate, it’s a good thing. Today the digital world is expanding rapidly, billions of people use the internet through connected devices such as phones, tablets, and laptop to access cloud services and applications, and running a modern web browser is a key component for a fast, secure, and reliable experience. The company continuing to support older browsers slows down developers to take advantage of new web standards and force them to do more unnecessary work.
Using a newer browser will also benefit users to stay more secure, be more productive, and get their hands in new cool web experiences and services.
For companies Microsoft will continue to support the Enterprise Mode for backward compatibility throughout the lifecycle of the operating system to give customers some time to update their web applications that work in the latest version of IE. On Windows 7, Enterprise Mode will be supported until January 14, 2020.
This is a good news and suggests that Microsoft is moving closer to what other browsers such as Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox already been doing for quite some time.
What do you think about this new Microsoft move?
Source Microsoft
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].