Google Apps dropping support for IE9
Google has announced through its Google Apps blog that it will be dropping support for Microsoft's Internet Explorer 9 browser in the coming weeks. — The blog post highlights Google's policy for browser support which includes the latest …
Context & Ripple Effects
Google Apps is tightening its browser-support policy around newer releases, putting Internet Explorer 9 users on notice. IE9 had already been bounded by Microsoft's decision not to make it available on Windows XP, as covered in Microsoft's IE9 platform cutoff.
The move matters because Google Apps customers using IE9 must change browsers to retain supported access, making browser version management an operational issue rather than a purely desktop-software choice.
First-order effects
- Google Apps will no longer support Internet Explorer 9 in the coming weeks, requiring affected customers to move to a supported browser for supported use of Google's workplace services.
Second-order effects
- Microsoft faces added pressure to move business users beyond IE9, while corporate IT teams must weigh browser upgrades against the Windows versions deployed across their fleets.
Third-order effects
- If major web-service providers continue shortening support windows for older browsers, compatibility policy will increasingly determine when enterprises refresh client software rather than relying on a browser's own lifecycle alone.
The trend: Cloud productivity providers are using browser-support policies to push enterprise customers toward faster client-software upgrade cycles.