Microsoft has finally made it official on Tuesday i.e. August 18th, 2020 that it will no longer offer security updates to those using its Internet Explorer (IE) 11 after November 29th, 2020. Also, the tech giant added in its update it is planning to end the life of its 25-year-old browser from August 17th, 2020.
Meaning, all IE users irrespective of the version they are using will be urged to shift their web browsing activities to Microsoft Edge Browser. At the same time, all the Microsoft 365 apps and services that connect to the browser will also stop connecting to the said browser after the said deadline of Nov’20.
Following the deadline, all users will see a low grade experience while browsing various websites via IE after November this year and those accessing HTTPS websites like banking portals and shopping carts will have to stay double cautious as the browser will stop securing the data while sending it to & fro.
Precisely, the announcement was being expected from the day Microsoft released its Edge browser to the online world in 2015. At that time, the project of shifting IE users to the new Edge was dubbed as Project Spartan and gained success to a certain extent.
As of now, customers using IE 11 version released in 2013 will receive security support for their browsing activities carried out through their browser; but after November 2020 they need to shift their base to the better and more innovative Chromium based Edge browser.
Some tech analysts argue that Microsoft might send updates to its Windows 7 and 10 operating systems in such a way that the Satya Nadella company might make the working IE 11 browser disappear from its user PCs after the deadline of August 17th,2021.
Note 1- Till the year 2008, Microsoft Internet Explorer remained at the top in the competition of web browsers followed by Safari and Mozilla Firefox. But in May 2012 Google Chrome overtook the Internet Explorer on a global note and is reported to be still retaining the space followed by Firefox and Edge.
Note 2- Market analysts say that Microsoft struggled to keep its top place after the launch of Internet Explorer 6 that was notoriously insecure and faced a backlash from many users browsing gaming, banking and shopping websites through it. Since then, many versions that followed IE6 failed to compete with Chrome.
