Microsoft Announces Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0

REDMOND, Wash., April 8, 1997 — Microsoft Corp. today announced Microsoft® Internet Explorer 4.0, the next-generation Internet client that dramatically improves the way users experience the Internet. In addition, Microsoft today delivered the Platform Preview Release of Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 , the first test version intended specifically for content and software developers as well as technical corporate evaluators. This initial release provides the architectural foundation that will enable content and software developers to build next-generation Internet content, applications and intranet business solutions. Microsoft also continues to provide unprecedented international support by delivering the Platform Preview in 12 languages.

Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 is the advanced Internet client suite that offers seamless integration with the user interface in the Windows® operating system – giving users a consistent way to find data, whether it resides on the Internet, an intranet or a hard drive – and will include the most advanced browser capabilities, e-mail, data and video conferencing, applications sharing, editing and webcasting “push” capabilities.

“Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 dramatically advances the way users experience the Internet,” said Brad Chase, vice president, applications and Internet client group at Microsoft. “We’ve combined push capabilities, desktop integration and the latest in browsing and communication technologies to deliver the best of the PC and the best of the Web.”

Benefits for IT Managers, End Users, Developers and Designers

Microsoft shaped the innovative architecture and features of Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 to provide specific benefits for each of the following major groups of Internet users:

  • Corporate IT managers, who will benefit from reduced cost of ownership. Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 provides a single, consistent user interface for both Internet and PC usage, which reduces training costs. In addition, personalized information delivery to users’ desktops conserves network bandwidth, and the standards-based architecture ensures interoperability with existing systems.

  • End users, who will benefit from the easiest, most complete and personalized way to use their PCs and the Internet. Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 makes Internet information as accessible as PC-based data, reduces information overload, provides powerful new ways for users to collaborate and interact with friends and colleagues, and provides automated assistance for most common tasks.

  • Developers, designers and other Web professionals, who will benefit from access to entirely new markets. Internet Explorer 4.0 provides innovative new technology that developers can use to increase interactivity and excitement for customers – without slowing down server performance. Developers can also create entirely new types of software that take advantage of Internet functionality on the PC or deliver custom information directly to users’ desktops, as well as rich, line-of-business applications that draw on both the Internet and the enterprise so businesses can make better decisions.

Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 Brings the Web to Users

Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 leaps beyond basic browsing with the most comprehensive set of delivery, webcasting and communication technologies, making it easier to find and use information. Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 meets the needs of Internet and intranet users by delivering innovative functionality in four key areas:

  • Best browser. Building on the industrywide acclaim for interface innovations introduced in Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0, new advanced features keep Microsoft Internet Explorer at the forefront of Web browser innovation. Based on the award-winning IntelliSense
    ™
    technology, the AutoComplete feature automatically completes typed URLs, making browsing the Web a few keystrokes away. The Search Bar dramatically improves Internet searches by allowing users to view search results and pages simultaneously. Users can now take the Web with them wherever they go with the advanced offline browsing capabilities. Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 also continues the tradition of supporting the most advanced Internet technologies with support for Dynamic HTML. Dynamic HTML provides the foundation for next-generation, interactive Internet content and applications.

  • Complete communication and collaboration. Internet Explorer 4.0 offers open, standards-based solutions for messaging, conferencing, broadcasting, authoring and publishing. The new Outlook
    ™
    Express provides advanced e-mail and news functionality, giving users the unique ability to receive, edit and send rich HTML-based messages. Microsoft NetMeeting
    ™
    conferencing software 2.0 offers a full-featured collaboration solution today by providing users true application sharing, whiteboard, data and video conferencing, and chat capabilities. The Microsoft NetShow
    ™
    server offers live broadcast and on-demand audio, video and mixed multimedia, giving corporations and content vendors a one-to-many communications solution. Microsoft FrontPad provides users a simple way to create and edit personal Web pages for the Internet or intranets. In addition, the Personal Web Server enables any computer on an intranet to be a Web server and makes it easy to publish personalized Web pages.

  • Webcasting of sites and premium channels. With Internet Explorer 4.0, Microsoft is the first company to provide a truly open architecture for pushing content to users’ desktops. Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 will be the first browser to support the Channel Definition Format, an open and easily authored format for the publishing of Web-standard channels that will allow Web publishers to optimize the broadcast of their content to millions of Internet users. With webcasting, users can “subscribe” to any Web site, be notified of changes without having to visit the site, and have the Web site content delivered to them, ensuring they will always have the most up-to-date information. In addition, Internet Explorer 4.0 will offer support for premium channels, giving users easy access to leading entertainment and information content providers. For IT managers, Internet Explorer 4.0 will offer content filtering and scheduling, allowing them to manage the type and frequency of content appearing on users’ desktops.

  • True Web integration. Full integration with the Windows user interface is unique to Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 and provides users a single, easy way to access information, regardless of where it’s located – on a local machine, a LAN or the Internet. This concept embraces the importance of integrating Web tasks into a proven and popular user interface design that builds on current investments in training and solves key customer problems. Additional benefits to this integration are an enhanced Start button, which combines the functionality of the current Windows Start menu with Internet Favorites, History lists and new Internet Find capabilities; and the Active Desktop, which gives users the power to personalize their workspace by placing Web pages, desktop components and Internet news directly onto the desktop.

First Preview Release Introduces Innovative, Open Technologies

With the Platform Preview Release, Microsoft introduces support for leading technologies such as Dynamic HTML. Microsoft’s implementation of Dynamic HTML, developed in collaboration with the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), builds on standard HTML through an open, language-independent object model. This advanced HTML technology will revolutionize the way users experience Web content – improving performance, interactivity and overall presentation. Dynamic HTML also provides Web designers the flexibility to incorporate business data and multimedia effects, enabling Web sites to rival high-quality interactive CD-ROM games and business productivity applications.

Future test releases of Internet Explorer 4.0 will also provide unmatched Java
™
support, including the fastest virtual machine in the industry, automatic and bidirectional integration of ActiveX
™
Components and JavaBeans and the Microsoft Application Foundation Classes (AFC) for Java. AFC provides a rich set of cross-platform class libraries that allow faster development of commercial-quality Java applications.

To support developers and technical evaluators worldwide, Microsoft will deliver the Platform Preview of Internet Explorer 4.0 in the following languages: Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian) and Spanish.

Microsoft also plans to offer versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 for the Windows 3.1, Macintosh and Unix platforms.

The Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 Platform Preview Release download is specifically recommended for developers and IT managers only. It is available now for download without charge from Microsoft’s Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/ie/ .

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft, Windows, IntelliSense, Outlook, NetMeeting, NetShow and ActiveX are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

Java is a trademark of Sun Microsystems Inc.

Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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