Microsoft ended support for Internet Explorer on Wednesday, tuning in to its nearly 27-year-old web browser. The time comes more than a year after the company announced that its Internet Explorer 11 Windows 10 desktop application would be phased out in favor of Microsoft Edge.
“Microsoft Edge is not only a faster, more secure, and more modern browsing experience than Internet Explorer, but it’s also capable of addressing a key concern: compatibility with older websites and applications,” Microsoft said of its newer browser, which launched. in 2015, in a blog post.
The first version of Internet Explorer was included in a 1995 Windows 95 Plus upgrade package.
It was once the most popular web browser, as it is said to have had 95% of the market in 2003. Usage declined as rivals such as Google Chrome and Microsoft made the Edge with Chromium was your default navigation. StatCounter indicated that it recently had around 0.5% of the market.
The removal of Internet Explorer caused technical problems in Japan, where some companies and government agencies operated websites only compatible with the old browser, according to Nikkei. Apparently they were aware of the change to Edge, but they delayed the action and many sought the help of software developer Computer Engineering & Consulting.