Last month, Microsoft said its next version of Internet Explorer (11), would stop supporting Microsoft Teams. It also said beginning on August 17, 2021, the rest of the collaboration giant’s apps on the Microsoft 365 platform are set to no longer support Internet Explorer 11. The move comes as Microsoft hopes to gain wider acceptance of ts Microsoft Edge browser, noting in a statement: “We’re committed to helping make this transition go as smoothly as possible.”
Microsoft said that its customers have relied on IE 11 since 2013, a browsing option that was much safer when the internet was much less sophisticated. “Today, we have open web standards and newer browsers – like the new Microsoft Edge – have enabled better more innovative online experiences.” According to the company, the shift will lead to more pleasant experiences for Microsoft 365 subscribers in both its consumer and commercial realms. Microsoft hopes to enable faster and more responsive web access to greater sets of features in tools like Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, etc., with the move.
What about those who have already made a significant investment in IE 11? Eventually, Microsoft customers will no longer access Microsoft 365 apps and services using IE 11, but Microsoft clarified in a statement:
“We want to be clear that IE 11 is not going away and that our customers’ own legacy IE 11 apps and investments will continue to work. Customers have made business-critical investments in IE 11 legacy apps, and we respect that those apps are still functioning”
What Microsoft will focus on is bridging the divide between modern and legacy apps, noting many customers might feel there is no choice but to rely on a two-browser workaround of using IE 11 alongside a modern browser.”With the new Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer mode, customers do not need a workaround of one browser for some apps and another for other apps.” The company said that users can standardize on one browser and experience the modern web in a single tab.
“This is all possible while accessing business-critical legacy IE 11 apps in another tab via Microsoft Edge”
The whole thing, a part of Microsoft’s push to bring its customers to the Edge. As such, the company has used its Bing search engine to redirect customers to the browser. The company’s even stepped up its marketing efforts, as a quick search for competitor Firefox from within Bing shows an ad for Microsoft Edge above the search results.
As much as the process of user adoption can be annoying, there are actually some benefits to making the switch to the Edge. The browser has some of the best privacy settings and stops advertisers from tracking you across the Internet. This happens by default. In addition to privacy, there is a feature called interservice reader, which extends a distraction-free way to read.
It cuts out extraneous content that appears on pages and lets users control formatting, font size, colors, and even highlight sections while scrolling. Like any new or emerging technology, Microsoft is hoping its Edge browser will catch on, and forcing customers to use the technology might be a faster way to increase user adoption for the sake of security and ease-of-use.
