In order for us to ensure the necessary high level of security and end-user experience for all our Mallcomm products, we will be ending support for Internet Explorer 11 (IE11) on 31 March 2021.
Since Microsoft launched their Edge web browser in 2015, Internet Explorer (IE) has not been updated to support modern web browsing standards, and as a result has become increasingly outdated and difficult to support.
Over the last few years, Microsoft has been discouraging the use of IE as a default browser and has recently announced they will stop supporting the product completely from August 2021. We are therefore taking action now prior to this cut-off date.
There are two key dates you need to be aware of:
- 31 March 2021 - Mallcomm support stops for IE11
We will no longer support IE11 from this date. Users still logging in using this browser will receive a warning, however, they may dismiss this and continue to use the system. Our helpdesk will advise users with any browser-related issues to upgrade as no further fixes will be developed for IE11.
- 18 August 2021 - Login no longer possible from IE11
In order to ensure the security and experience for all our customers, it will no longer be possible to log in using IE11. Users will receive the same message to update to a modern browser and will not be able to dismiss it.
What does this mean?
While the browser will still work in some capacity, end of support means that we will not be fixing bugs that are specific to the IE 11 browser or testing new feature releases are compatible.
What platforms will be affected?
Both the Mallcomm CMS and your web applications will be affected by this. If you currently use IE 11 as your main web browser, we strongly recommend changing to an alternative as soon as possible. As Microsoft ends support, aside from degraded performance, outdated software can be a big security risk.
When is this happening?
From the end of March, users accessing either the CMS or your web app will have a pop up explaining that the browser is no longer supported with links to download a different browser if they need assistance to do so.
If a user simply dismisses the pop-up, they can continue to use the system, however, some of the more modern features may not work as expected.
What can you do?
We’d recommend downloading a more modern browser as soon as possible. Not only will you immediately benefit from speed and performance improvements, you’ll also have a more secure system.
We recommend Chrome, Firefox or Microsoft Edge as the best available browsers, however, you can choose whichever one you are most comfortable with.
Microsoft Edge Legacy
It is also worth noting that with the release of the latest Chromium-based Edge Browser, Microsoft have also announced the end of support for the legacy version of Microsoft Edge. If you are currently an Edge user and have not updated yet, we strongly recommend you do. The legacy browser is close to end-of-life and Microsoft has acknowledged that "after March 9, 2021, the Microsoft Edge Legacy desktop app will not receive new security updates."
Additional Planning
We understand that some companies may be restricted by certain programs they run, so here are a few final points that may assist you in the changeover:
- If it works on Internet Explorer, it will work on Microsoft Edge in Internet Explorer mode.
- If it works on Microsoft Edge Legacy version 45 and earlier, it will work on Microsoft Edge version 77 and later.
- If it works on Google Chrome, it will work on Microsoft Edge.
- It is fine to run both Internet Explorer and another browser such as Chrome at the same time, so you can use Chrome to connect to Mallcomm and continue with IE for internal apps if that cannot be avoided.
As always, if you have any further questions or would like additional information about any of this article, please reach out to us at any time. You can call your account manager or send us an email: support@mallcomm.co.uk and we’ll do our best to address any concerns you may have.