While many of us may have made our goodbyes to Internet Explorer following its recent end of life, the demise of the vintage browser could pose a major issue for some organisations.
Many companies in Japan, including government agencies, financial institutions, and manufacturing and logistics companies, still use the now unsupported web browser, according to Asian business publication Nikkei.
Microsoft finally ended support for Internet Explorer after 27 years on June 15, 2022, warning users of cybersecurity risks if they continue to use the software.
Why is Japan still reliant on Internet Explorer?
The browser is still commonly used in Japan for employee task attendance management, expenses settlement, and other internal purposes according to research from information technology firm Keyman's Net, cited by Nikkei.
Almost half – 49% – of respondents surveyed said they still used the browser for work, and 20% said they weren’t sure how to transition away from Internet Explorer.
Many of Japan’s important public sector resources have been slow to respond to the issue according to Nikkei’s reporting.
Notices from the Japan Pension Service concerning online applications still require users to use Edge in Internet Explorer mode, and so does the website of an unnamed government-backed mutual aid corporation for private schools.
It’s not just the Japanese that are still clinging on to Internet Explorer.
Research from Lansweeper exclusively shared with TechRadar Pro claims nearly half (47%) of Windows 10 devices will need to be updated due to still using Internet Explorer as their browser – equivalent to millions of PCs in offices and other workplaces around the world.
Microsoft first announced its plans to gradually phase out Internet Explorer 11 across Windows 10 and Microsoft 365 in August 2020, and since then has been gradually stripping back services for the software.
Internet Explorer has a storied history, victoriously battling it out with other browsers such as Netscape in late 90’s for dominance, in phenomenon know as the “Browser Wars”.
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