The Internet Explorer (IE) brand will soon be no more, as Microsoft feels the public’s perception of its long-standing browser has become too negative.
Microsoft isn’t moving away from the web browser market completely though, instead it will overhaul its current offering. This new version doesn’t yet have a name; it is simply known as ‘Project Spartan’. IE has acquired a reputation for slow performance and numerous security issues, so Microsoft aims to ensure this new browser will be much faster and sleeker.
The company has tried and failed to dispel people’s negative attitude towards IE – it even ran adverts stating IE is the browser “everyone loves to hate”. At one point, more than 90 per cent of internet users accessed their favourite sites via IE but, for a long time, this was partly down to the fact computers with a Microsoft operating system came pre-installed with the browser. In 2013, Microsoft was sued for not giving users a choice in browsers by EU regulators.
IE is still alive and kicking for now, but this will change once Windows 10 is released this summer. The new browser will allow users to write on webpages using a stylus and promises to be much more compatible with the “modern web”. Moreover, Cortana and Bing will also be built into the new browser.
Joe Belfiore, corporate vice president of Operating Systems Group at Microsoft, said that customers who still want to use and download IE will be able to.
“Project Spartan is designed to work the way you do, with features enabling you to do cool things like write or type on a webpage,” he explained. “It’s a browser that is made for easy sharing, reading, discovery and getting things done online.
“At the same time, we recognise that for some of our enterprise customers, it’s important they have the support they need and can continue to use Internet Explorer when and where they need it.”
