Microsoft released an update this week that permanently disabled Internet Explorer (IE) on most systems.
The U.S-based tech giant has officially retired IE 11 to instead focus on Edge, its newer Artificial Intelligence (AI)-focused internet browser.
- IE debuted in 1995 and by 2002 it controlled 95% of the world's internet browser market.
- Microsoft announced plans to phase out IE after releasing its new browser, Edge, for Windows 10 users, in 2020.
- The company officially withdrew support for Internet Explorer in June 2022 but some organizations, including financial institutions in Japan, were slow to respond to the retirement.
- Edge became the default browser for Windows 11 and in 2022 it surpassed Safari to become the world's second most popular desktop browser, according to web analytics service StatCounter.
- Microsoft integrated its Bing search engine into Edge earlier this month in a bid to increase the use of AI in internet browsing.
