Microsoft will be phasing out Internet Explorer and introducing a new browser later this year, marketing head Chris Capossela confirmed.
The next browser will use a new name (for now it’s codenamed “Project Spartan”) and have entirely new branding. At the Microsoft Convergence Conference last week, Capossela said “we’re now researching what the new brand, or the new name, for our browser should be in Windows 10. We’ll continue to have Internet Explorer, but we’ll also have a new browser called Project Spartan, which is codenamed Project Spartan. We have to name the thing.”
Although this new browser is planned to take the spotlight, Internet Explorer will still exist in some versions of the new operating system “mainly for enterprise compatibility”, The Verge says.
According to NetMarketShare, Internet Explorer remains the top browser in the world (when it comes to desktop). However, the browser maintains a poor reputation for being slow and full of bugs. There are many online clubs and websites dedicated to “why Internet Explorer sucks”. A few years ago, Microsoft even joined the club, releasing an ad bashing its own browser, calling Internet Explorer “The Browser you Loved to Hate”. It was a clever and fun attempt to show consumers that IE was improving and more than just a browser you use to download other browsers. The company then launched another similar campaign called “Rethink” last year, which was meant to show how “Internet Explorer is helping to create a web that is fast, beautiful and perfect for touch”.
Despite all these attempts to improve, rebrand Internet Explorer and change public perception, the browser is still seen as the weakest option. In fact, even the name alone appears to be associated with negative feelings for many internet users. Below are some results of a recent study conducted by Microsoft in the UK (revealed by Capossela at Monday’s Conference):
The graph shows reactions to different secret names the company is testing for Project Spartan. It’s unlikely the brand will include Internet Explorer in the new name but we could see Microsoft in Project Spartan’s official name. Capossela said Monday, “Just by putting the Microsoft name in front of it, the delta for Chrome users on appeal is incredibly high.”
There is no exact release date yet for Windows 10 and the new browser, however many predict the company will have more announcements next month at Microsoft’s Build 2015 Conference.
Sources:
http://www.geekwire.com/2015/goodbye-ie-microsoft-is-dumping-the-internet-explorer-brand/
http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/29/3705902/microsoft-internet-explorer-commenters-ad