Microsoft is planning to distribute a beta of its more
secure Internet Explorer 7 browser within four months.
The beta will be available to users of the company’s Windows XP
operating system, ahead of the launch of its next generation
Windows system Vista.
The plan is to launch the beta before the end of March 2006, to
allow users to test the extra security and functionality that will
come with IE 7.
As well as new anti-phishing and anti-spyware features, the
browser is expected to offer users tabbed browsing, in the same way
its main rival Firefox does.
Web analytics companies estimate the open-source Firefox browser
from the Mozilla Foundation now has approaching 9% of the browser
market, since being launched a year ago.
Internet Explorer 6 and earlier versions takes up around 85% of
the market. IE 7 is designed to help stall Firefox’s continued
growth, amid concerns among some users that Internet Explorer is
less secure.
The newly launched Firefox 1.5 however has just been hit by a
new security flaw.