Windows 8.1 Update Brings Browser Compatibility Mode For Old IE Versions

Microsoft is giving Internet Explorer an enterprise mode with the upcoming Windows 8.1 update. The browser can therefore be used for sites that were developed for older versions of Internet Explorer, such as intranet sites. Microsoft wants to make it easier for companies to switch.

The EMIE functionality has been spotted by the Russian PC Portal, which is running the upcoming update of Windows 8.1 and took some screenshots of the browser function. In the past, many companies have leveraged functionality specific to previous versions of Internet Explorer, such as IE8 on Windows 7, to develop intranet sites, software, and browser apps.

This poses an obstacle when moving to later Windows and Internet Explorer editions, as well as newer Office variants. With IE8, for example, you cannot use all the possibilities of Office 2013 and Office 365, Microsoft warns. With Windows XP, many companies and website builders also optimized their sites for IE6, which made switching difficult.

Enterprise mode should lower that barrier to switching. Companies can specify that certain sites and apps should run in compatibility mode, and when employees activate EMIE, they open in the new browser in a way that IE8 would, for example.