Microsoft Drops Smart Tags from Internet Explorer

Microsoft has decided not to include Smart Tags in the next version of Internet Explorer. Citing the need to perform additional testing and address external feedback, Smart Tags will not be in Internet Explorer (IE) version 6, scheduled to be part of the October release of Windows XP. Microsoft could still add Smart Tags to IE in the future via Windows Update.

First introduced in Office XP, Smart Tags dynamically provide users with various options when certain actions are taken; for example, when a user types an address in Word, a Smart Tag might appear offering a link to an online map showing the location of that address. (For details on Smart Tags in Office XP, see “Office XP Offers Collaboration, Discoverability” on page 16 of the June 2001 Update.) Similarly, IE Smart Tags give users new ways to interact with Web page content being displayed in IE. For example, IE Smart Tags might recognize a company name on a Web page and dynamically create a link that allows the user to get additional information about the company from another Web site, such as MSN MoneyCentral. (See the illustration “Smart Tags Add Links to Directions Home Page“.)