Microsoft uses Office 365 to move users beyond Internet Explorer 8 and 9

Kareem Anderson

Microsoft has been desperately trying to get its users to move on from old and vulnerable versions of Internet Explorer to its more recent efforts at web browsing, including its new Windows 10 Edge browser.
In a continued effort to usher Windows users along the path of change, Microsoft is now enlisting the help of its widely popular Office 365 subscription to spur adoption of its more modern browsers.
Beginning January 12, 2016, owners of an Office 365 subscription will now find the system requirements for the service altered. Office 365 workloads are being changed across the board and will now effect users who still use Internet Explorer 8 and 9. While not fully banishing the older browsers ability to work alongside Office 365, users who continue to use IE 8 and 9 will see a noticeably “diminished experience.”

Office 365 is designed to work with the latest version of the Microsoft Edge browser. Microsoft Edge browser updates are available through the Windows Servicing branches. Office 365 might continue to work with versions of the Edge browser older than the latest branch, but Office 365 can’t provide any guarantees.”

Microsoft has already stated changes to browser support in January of next year that affect most Windows users as a whole. Now, it seems that Microsoft is using Office 365 as another means to push along users into leaving older versions of IE behind.
On its system requirements page for Office 365, other browser compatibility services are listed, including Yammer, Sharepoint, and Office Online that will also suffer when combined with IE 8 or 9. For now, Office 365 will continue to work with older versions of IE and even manage beyond the January deadline. However, Windows, Office 365 and most of Microsoft’s services are looking to leverage new technologies and security advancements from newer browsers, users of older browsers will be doing so at their own risk starting January.