Microsoft released Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) back in March of 2011 as an updated version of the popular internet browser. This new software was initially available as an optional update, however Microsoft has recently announced it will be pushing this updated release out through the automatic update process to all Windows Vista and Windows 7 systems.
At PCM we have been using the IE9 browser for some time now and have found it to be a nice improvement over previous versions. That said, we have held off pushing this upgrade out to our client networks in case there were issues with legacy applications that only worked with the older browser versions. Starting in February we are also planning to approve the IE9 release and have it automatically push out to all client desktops running Vista and Win7.
What's so great about the new release? Well for starters, this release is the most secure yet with various built in protection mechanisms to stop software from automatically installing itself without a user knowing. IE9 also detects when add-in software is not loading or running slow and notifies the user so these problem applications can be disabled. All of this results in faster browsing and more secure computing which is something we really appreciate.
Apart from being more secure the IE9 browser is also faster and uses a cleaner interface creating a better browsing experience for users. Will there be changes to the layout and some new things to learn? Yes, while all of your favourites and preferences will be retained, there will be some changes to the screen. Most notably is the absence of the favourites bar at the top of the screen, instead people are encouraged to use the new “pinning” feature that allows you to pin sites to the Windows task bar just like other Office applications. Should you prefer the old favourites bar at the top this can still be enabled by right mouse clicking at the top of the screen and turning it on again. For a complete list of all the new features of IE9, including some videos demonstrating the new technologies, please go here.
Due to the security and performance updates we have decided to upgrade all desktops to the latest version available for your version of Windows (IE9 on Vista and Windows 7, IE8 on Windows XP). With today’s internet threat landscape, there’s no question that using an outdated browser is a fool’s errand. Feel free to contact us with any questions about these new releases or concerns you may have about the upgrade process.
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