Internet Explorer 9
Microsoft Corp Vice President of Internet Explorer Dean Hachamovitch unveils Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 Beta version during a demonstration in San Francisco, California September 15, 2010. Reuters/ Robert Galbraith

Microsoft will not support the older versions of the Internet Explorer anymore. The company has decided to end support for Internet Explorer 8, 9 and 10 starting Jan. 12 next week.

The software giant posted in a support document about the new ‘End of Life’ notification feature for Internet Explorer which will be delivered to users on their computers from Jan. 12. The notification will tell users that the timeline for the Internet Explorer (IE) 8, 9 and 10 has ended. They will now have to upgrade to the latest version of the browser, reports CNET.

Microsoft’s decision to stop support for the older versions of IE does not mean that the browser will be out of service from the computer. However, it does indicate that there will be no more updates or other patches and bug fixes available on the browser. Therefore, the older IE versions will automatically become vulnerable to malware and security threats.

According to NetMarketShare, IE’s market share dropped from 58.2 percent in January 2014 to 48.57 percent in December 2015. On the other hand, Google-owned Chrome’s share rose from 16.35 percent in January 2014 to 32.33 percent in December 2015. Killing support for older versions of IE is a way of steering people towards the newer version of Microsoft’s operating system, particularly Windows 10 that supports Internet Explorer 11.

According to the latest web traffic statistics, Internet Explorer 11 boasts of a total 25.57 percent share of the desktop browser market share. The Internet Explorer 8, 9 and 10 accounts for another 20 percent of the total desktop browser market share. The data indicates that more people will have to upgrade to IE 11 if they want to ensure that their browser is safe and free from malware threats.

Internet Explorer 11, which is the latest version of IE, will continue to receive compatibility fixes, technical support and security updates on Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10. This means better performance and service of the latest web browser on your PC.

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