Microsoft has decided the time has come that everyone has to at least be at Internet Explorer 8 for all servers and workstations capable of being at Internet Explorer 8. For those capable of being at Internet Explorer 9, they will also give you Internet Explorer 9. If you have chosen to block Internet Explorer 9 for compatibility reasons from being deployed across your network, then Microsoft will continue to honor that block and not force Internet Explorer 9 upon you. That block will expire one year after Internet Explorer's 9 original release.
Those in Windows Active Directory domains can block the Internet Explorer 9 deploy via Group Policy. An add-on group policy is required to block Internet Explorer 9. For those who are not in a Windows domain there is a registry key that must be added to block Internet Explorer 9 deploys.
Those networks who have implemented Microsoft WSUS to manage and deploy all your updates can continue to use your normal management process to approve and decline all updates that you want to see on your network.
If you are relying on Microsoft Update or Windows Update to automatically, directly deliver the updates from Microsoft to your computers, this change from Microsoft will affect you.
We have had some anecdotal reports of compatibility issues with Internet Explorer 9, but those reports have declined dramatically as vendors have adapted their websites for Internet Explorer 9.
The last thing we want is for you to wake up in January and have your user's tell you that your major web application is broken. If you haven't done so already, please test your web applications with the Internet Explorer 8 AND Internet Explorer 9 browsers. Remember that each browser has an older Internet Explorer version compatibility mode button which is the little icon that looks like a piece of paper torn in the middle on the right side of the address bar. Remember as well that you can add select websites to always launch in compatibility mode. If you find you have problems with your sites with either Internet Explorer 8 or 9, it may be as simple as pressing that compatibility mode button and then adding them to the start in compatibility mode list to avoid confusion as Microsoft makes this change.
If you are concerned that Internet Explorer 9 will break something on your computers, or confused as to which of the various update strategies your computers use, contact CSI. We are happy to help.
Here is Microsoft's official announcement on what they are doing - https://bit.ly/uqG74J
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