Microsoft announced the retirement of its oldest browser, Internet Explorer after 27 years of service.
As per the company notification, the firm’s oldest browser will be completely phased out from June 15.
Microsoft has said that it will end mainstream support for the aging browser and it will finally retire in peace. First released in 1995 as an add-on package for Windows 95, the browser was provided for free as part of the package by Microsoft.
“We are announcing that the future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10 is in Microsoft Edge. Not only is Microsoft Edge a faster, more secure, and more modern browsing experience than Internet Explorer, but it is also able to address a key concern: compatibility for older, legacy websites and applications. Microsoft Edge has Internet Explorer mode (“IE mode”) built-in, so you can access those legacy Internet Explorer-based websites and applications straight from Microsoft Edge,” The company said in a statement.
“With Microsoft Edge capable of assuming this responsibility and more, the 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 release said.
Internet Explorer was launched in 1995 as an add-on package for Windows 95. Microsoft later started providing the app for free as part of the package.
The nearly three-decade-old browser peaked at 95 percent usage share in 2003. However, IE could not maintain its position, and its user base started to decline drastically as other competitors released new browsers with better user interfaces, faster internet speed, and smoother performance.