Windows 10 launches next month. The new OS represents a fundamental change on how we use the Microsoft’s ecosystem now and in future, with all the talks about software-as-a-service mindset and common code across all Windows devices. One of these huge changes is the company’s new browser, Edge. Although it will not replace the good ol’ Internet Explorer (because of obvious legacy reasons), it will be the new default browser. Way over a billion devices will get Windows 10 for free upgrade. That’s quite many devices which will soon open your web site, eCommerce store or online game with a completely new browser by default.
Of course many of those new users will change their default browser, but remember: right now Internet Explorer still has roughly 50 % market share (depending on statistics provider). So even if it were just a small percentage of current IE users that will adopt Edge, we are still talking about (hundreds of) millions.
The general atmosphere around digital landscape feels like Microsoft Edge is not taken very seriously. I haven’t heard from any friend or tweeter that they would be testing their services’ compatibility with the new browser. Edge’s insides differ completely from those of the IE-family (most notably it boosts a completely unique rendering engine), and although it shows very positively on browser benchmark tests, it means that whatever optimization your company has done for IE is not going to cut it.
Time to get your work-pants on, and start installing those Windows 10 Previews with the new Microsoft Edge.
Joel Latto 