It is with great sadness that I have to inform you that on the 12 January 2016 we have bidden farewell to all save the most current version of Internet Explorer on all supported operating systems.
Quoting after Microsoft website: “(…) only the most current version of Internet Explorer available for a supported operating system will receive technical supports and security updates. Internet Explorer 11 is the last version of Internet Explorer, and will continue to receive security updates, compatibility fixes, and technical support on Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10. (…) After January 12, 2016, Microsoft will no longer provide security updates or technical support for older versions of Internet Explorer. Security updates patch vulnerabilities that may be exploited by malware, helping to keep users and their data safer. Regular security updates help protect computers from malicious attacks, so upgrading and staying current is important.”
(source: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/WindowsForBusiness/End-of-IE-support)
What does it mean for users of different Windows Desktop Operating Systems.
- If you use Windows Vista SP2 you have to upgrade to Internet Explorer 9.
- If you use Windows 7 SP1 you have to upgrade to Internet Explorer 11.
- If you use Windows 8.1 Update you can use Internet Explorer 11.
Due to the lack of both technical support and security updates for IE versions other than IE 9 and IE 11 and the negligible market share of Windows Vista (1.62% compared to 14% for Windows XP and 58% for Windows 7) we will be dropping support for IE 10 and lower in our software.
People who are forced to use now unsupported versions of Internet Explorer due to corporate policies and cannot upgrade to the supported versions should install one of the free web browsers offered by other vendors to continue using StatMap Aurora, Cluster or Earthlight.