Internet Explorer / Microsoft Internet Service

Internet Explorer was a landmark web browser developed by Microsoft, first released in 1995 as part of the add-on package Plus! for Windows 95. It played a pivotal role in the early commercial development of the World Wide Web and was the most widely used web browser for many years during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

While developed and headquartered in the United States, Microsoft's software products are distributed and maintained globally. Over time, Internet Explorer was superseded by Microsoft Edge as the primary browser for Windows 10 and 11. As of 2022, Microsoft officially retired Internet Explorer across many versions of Windows, shifting its ultimate ownership and support ecosystem entirely toward current web standards through the Edge Chromium-based platform.

Today, Microsoft remains the ultimate owner of the brand and legacy technology, continuing its presence as a global leader in software, cloud computing, and consumer electronics.