Microsoft will stop offering services of the internet browser Internet Explorer from Wednesday, 27 years since its inception, the Associated Press reported. Users will now be redirected towards Microsoft’s browser Edge, which was launched in 2015.
Microsoft had announced the decision to shut down Internet Explorer last year.
“Not only is Microsoft Edge a faster, more secure and more modern browsing experience than Internet Explorer, but it is also able to address a key concern: compatibility for older, legacy websites and applications,” said Sean Lyndersay, General Manager of Microsoft Edge Enterprise in a blog post last year.
The first version of the Internet Explorer was released in 1995, at a time when Netscape Navigator, the first most popular browser was dominating the market, AP reported. The company released the last version of the browser, Internet Explorer 11 in 2013.
Internet Explorer had a strong recognition factor, according to a Roy Morgan survey conducted last year by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, The Guardian reported.
Google Chrome was the most widely recognised browser as 95% of the respondents identified with it, followed by Internet Explorer at 85%, and Firefox at 81%. However, only 28% of the respondents used Internet Explorer, the survey showed.
Twitter users bid farewell to Internet Explorer through memes
Social media users took to Twitter to share memes about the shutting of the iconic internet browser.
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