Not every day is a giant felled, but everything runs its course in time. The once great is humbled by time and better competitors until it finally ends its run. What better example of this could there be than that of Internet Explorer. When Microsoft (MSFT, Financial) launched this browser engine in 1995, it changed everything. Now, 20 years later, the company is moving away from this brand and its associated ignobility to launch a younger, better version of it by end of this year. Code-named "Project Spartan," this browser which is yet to be christened and named promises a better experience than its predecessor.
The fall of a giant
When Microsoft launched its web browser in the mid-'90s, the Explorer was hailed as a momentous episode. It dominated the market and was the sole player with over 1 billion users. However, when Google (GOOG) launched its Chrome browser and Firefox entered the fray, fortunes of the Explorer started declining. The other two players started gaining popularity and consumers started moving to their camp. Gradually but steadily Chrome became the leader by a vast margin. As per data from StatCounter, in February, Chrome had captured 43.2% of the global market, while Explorer had only 13.1% market share followed by Firefox which had about 11.6%. Hence, Project Spartan’s success is essential for Microsoft if it is to remain in the Web browser business.
The reason for this drastic fall of Explorer is because it received scathing criticisms and negative reviews about lacking foolproof security and poor compatibility with other browsers. This hit its image badly and the public perception worsened.
Damage control
In a bid to build its brand and shake off the negative image of Internet Explorer, Microsoft launched an advertising campaign mocking Internet Explorer 6. But it failed to rekindle user faith. When Microsoft's former Internet Explorer chief left the company in last December, analysts and insiders hailed it as the beginning of a new era for the web browser.
Microsoft’s chief marketing officer, Chris Capossela, said that not only will the system be remodeled; its brand, too, will be reinvented beginning with its name. According to research by the company on selecting a new name for the browser, having Microsoft in the new name added spice to its appeal to a section of Chrome users in the UK. Capossela referred to this data to say that the brand name was held in high regard among users and is a safe bet. "Just by putting the Microsoft name in front of it, the delta for Chrome users on appeal is incredibly high," states Capossela.
The new future
According to the media, Capossela said on Monday that they are yet to decide on the new name for the browser announced earlier. “We’re now researching what the new brand, or the new name, for our browser should be in Windows 10,” Capossela was quoted as saying at the recent Microsoft Convergence conference.
Project Spartan, or the new operating system, is supposed to have an improved security system and faster browsing speed. The technology is meant to be more recent and inter-operable, thereby supporting other browsers better. As an edge over the other browsers, it will also let users annotate Web pages and let them access Microsoft’s Cortana digital assistant to quickly find things online by speaking queries aloud.
Final word
It was way back in January that a hint about this change was revealed in the company blog post. After the announcement of Project Spartan’s inclusion in Windows 10, group program manager for Internet Explorer Jason Weber wrote that Windows 10 would also have Explorer because “some enterprises have legacy web sites that use older technologies designed only for Internet Explorer.” Members of Microsoft’s Windows Insider Program can download the early versions of Windows 10 with a preview of the named Project Spartan. Let’s stay tuned to find out if this new project is able to turnaround the future of Microsoft in the long run.
