IE7 Updates Security, Features

Internet Explorer 7 (IE7), the first new version of Microsoft’s Web browser since 2001, includes important security improvements and new features for end users, such as tabbed browsing and RSS support. Released to public beta in Feb. 2006, IE7 brings Microsoft’s browser to parity with competitors such as Firefox and Opera and could help IE regain some market share lost to these competitors. However, the security changes might cause some Web sites and Web applications to malfunction; developers and corporate IT should test the browser using an application compatibility toolkit available from Microsoft.

Why Update IE?

As recently as July 2004, Microsoft said it had no plans to release new stand-alone versions of IE—customers had to upgrade to Windows XP SP2 to get the most secure version of IE6, and the company said customers would have to buy Vista to get the next version of IE. This was largely a business decision, because Microsoft earns no incremental revenue from IE and had been able to dominate the browser market without updating it.