Microsoft is finally kicking the curb to its once-famous and popular Internet Explorer web browser. In a recent blog post, Microsoft said that it plans to fully retire Internet Explorer 11 (the latest version of the browser) by June of 2022. For companies still using apps tailor-made for Internet Explorer, Microsoft has added an Internet Explorer compatibility mode to Edge, to ensure critical enterprise apps remain operational.
Since the introduction of the Edge web browser in 2015, we knew Microsoft had fully planned to retire its now seriously-outdated Internet Explorer browser. Since its glory days in 2003, Internet Explorer saw a rapid loss in traction, even before Microsoft released its Edge browser.
Back in the early 2000s, Internet Explorer was actually one of the best browsers on the web and supported cutting-edge technologies that no other browser supported. But, due to Microsoft's persistent use of proprietary APIs and lack of consistent updates, Internet Explorer quickly lost ground to other web browsers like Chrome and Firefox in the early 2010s.
Now, all Internet Explorer is used for is to run proprietary applications which only work with Internet Explorer's code. This is where Microsoft's Internet Explorer compatibility mode will fully replace Internet Explorer, allowing Internet Explorer-specific applications to remain functional.
For more details, check out Microsoft's FAQ. As of this moment, Microsoft is asking all companies that still operate with Internet Explorer 11 to migrate to Edge's Internet Explorer compatibility mode as soon as possible.
