Internet Explorer 6 Officially Dead as Usage Hits 1 Percent

Back in March 2011 Microsoft was hard at work trying to kill Internet Explorer 6. The browser that once ruled the world had become a nuisance to web developers, IT technicians and Microsoft support resources alike. Now, Microsoft is rejoicing in its death, as IE6 usage has dipped to less than 1 percent across the majority of the globe. So now what?

First, have a slice of the delicious HTML 5 cake Microsoft whipped up in celebration of the event. You (the collective you) earned it! As Microsoft officially stated on its blog:

To further promote the event, Microsoft continues to encourage users to upgrade to newer versions of Internet Explorer and bring that IE6 number down to zero worldwide. Countries with less 1 percent of usage join the Champions Circle, a special site listing all the “champions” who have spread the gospel of IE 10.

When Windows 8 arrives on the scene, we’ll keep tabs to see how fast IE 10 adoption jumps, if at all. According to the Wikimedia Foundation, as of October 2011 IE commands 34 percent of the browser space, with Firefox and Chrome owning 24 and 20 percent, respectively. If Windows 8 tablets are well-accepted, IE could see a rise in percentage, but if they don’t, Chrome could quickly be eating IE’s lunch. Stay tuned later in the year for yet another IE update.