Microsoft Ends Support for IE 8, 9 and 10 and Windows 8
As of January 12, 2015, support for Internet Explorer 8, 9 and 10 and the operating system Windows 8 has ceased, according to Microsoft. However, Microsoft will continue to support IE 11 and Windows 8.1 but will eventually phase them out as well. This is an aggressive move by Microsoft to push its new product, Windows 10, which is bundled with their new browser, Edge.
Its Impact
With these changes, this will affect 20% of the internet desktop market. According to NetMarketShare the total percentage of users of IE 8, 9 and 10 is around 20%. See the breakdown below.
Internet Explore User Market Share
IE 8 – 8.95%
IE 9 – 6.67%
IE 10 – 4.18%
IE 11 – 25.57%
Edge – 2.25%
See the complete data here.
This means that Microsoft will no longer provide software or security updates for the said browsers, leaving 20% of desktop browser users hanging in case their browsers became compromised. The same goes for Windows 8.
Upgrade Encouraged by Microsoft
However, support for Windows 8.1, the browser which was launched two years ago, will continue until January 10, 2023. All this is to encourage users to upgrade. Windows 8 users may upgrade to Windows 8.1 which provides access to Windows 10. Sleek move by Microsoft to cease support for old versions of Internet Explorer.