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I am supporting a web based application in an enterprise. I currently require Chrome, which the enterprise supports through using the Chrome Legacy Browser Support plugin to force an automatic switch. Now that they have updated their Windows 7 machines to Internet Explorer 11, some users are asking that the application be allowed to run on Internet Explorer 11.

For now, the JavaScript frameworks I use (along with Babel) are compatible with IE11, but what happens in the years to come?

I've seen no mention from Microsoft that says anything is coming after IE 11. In fact they say that nothing will come to Windows 7. With JavaScript now being updated each year (ES2015, ES2016, ES2017, etc.), how does Microsoft plan to keep IE 11 up to date?

Will we be forced to support an increasingly "crufty" IE11? Will we be stuck with Internet Explorer 11 in enterprises till 2020 (the end of the Windows 7 lifecycle)?

Michał Perłakowski
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Nathan
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1 Answers1

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With JavaScript now being updated each year (ES2015, ES2016, ES2017, etc.), how does Microsoft plan to keep IE 11 up to date?

They're not going to. As of 2015, Internet Explorer 11 will no longer be receiving any new features or platform bug fixes. Only security updates will be provided to IE11 from here on out. Going forward, Microsoft Edge is the new browser and Windows 10 is the new platform.

See the FAQ for more details.

Will we be forced to support an increasingly "crufty" IE11? Will we be stuck with Internet Explorer 11 in enterprises till 2020 (the end of the Windows 7 lifecycle)?

If a significant portion of your userbase consists of Windows 7 and 8.1 users, then you'll probably have to continue supporting IE11 if your users aren't using other browsers.

Having said that, IE11 isn't going to get any more "crufty" than it already is. It's going to continue falling behind as technology marches on, but with IE, what you see is what you get. You can pretty much rely on platform bugs and missing features remaining as they are and develop workarounds for them as appropriate. The behavior of IE11 isn't going to change in the foreseeable future, which also means that legacy sites that work with it today will continue to work provided they remain unchanged (e.g. won't be updated with new technologies). So there's a silver lining for you.

BoltClock
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  • So what should I tell my customer? That it needs to stay Chrome only? – Nathan Feb 03 '16 at 17:50
  • @Nathan: If you want to continue supporting IE11 for a while yet, you'll have to stick with the features we have today, and polyfill anything that's missing where possible. I think many frameworks will continue supporting IE for a bit... – BoltClock Feb 03 '16 at 17:54
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    @Nathan, tell your customers that they can still use IE 11 if they like, but your services will start to cost more for them because supporting IE 11 means extra work. – Zanon Dec 26 '16 at 14:55
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    Do you work for Microsoft ? It appears your statements speak on their behalf. – JonH Dec 14 '17 at 20:17
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    @JonH: Nope but I'm an MVP who works closely with the IE/Edge platform team. Though I've noticed my own writing style mirror that of Microsoft and been a little concerned myself! – BoltClock Dec 15 '17 at 00:44
  • It might play out like this: Meltdown and Spectre are currently being played down by chip manufacturers because they have no fix. By the end of 2018 they will, and viruses will also have evolved so there will be reason to mistrust all old desktops. This will drive massive PC sales, causing your to customers upgrade from Windows 7/IE to Windows 10 /Edge. IE will naturally die. – James Feb 17 '18 at 16:28