Is Microsoft Building A New Web Browser As Part Of Windows 10?

Although the sources that are cited are anonymous, ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley has reported Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system will debut with an entirely new web browser, which is currently code-named Spartan.

The report indicates the new browser will mark a departure from Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, whose relevance has been waning in recent years. The sources have stated that the new release will be a “lightweight” browser with a look and feel that is similar to Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. According to Foley, her sources indicate that Spartan will be offered alongside Internet Explorer when Windows 10 debuts next year.

Internet Explorer usage has been in decline in recent times, with Firefox and Chrome controlling much of the desktop market while Safari, Chrome and Google’s Android browser have been dominating the mobile market. At one time, Internet Explorer was used for more than 90 percent of all web traffic on desktop and laptop computers, however, according to research firm Net Applications, its share has now dropped to 58 percent. Internet Explorer’s share on mobile is only 2 percent.

Foley’s report indicates Spartan’s release will be an attempt by Microsoft to address both of these markets. Windows 10 is designed to run across a wide range of devices, and the sources reveal the new web browser will be available on phones and tablets as well as desktops and laptops. Although it’s unclear whether or not Spartan will run on Android, Apple’s iOS and other operating systems that compete with Windows, Foley has stated that there is a chance for this to happen.

This news is part of the bigger picture change that has been coming from Microsoft, as the company is realizing the importance for its software to run on more than just Windows. In March of this year, the company released a version of Microsoft Office for the Apple iPad. Then, in November, it released free versions of Word, Excel and Powerpoint to run on iPhones. Additionally, earlier this month, Microsoft acquired the mobile email startup Acompli, which is an email client that is compatible on both iOS and Android mobile operating systems.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Windows executives Terry Myerson and Joe Belfiore, and Xbox chief Phil Spencer will be speaking at an event on January 21, which will be live streamed. A spokesperson confirmed the event will focus on the “Windows 10 consumer experience,” and Foley suspects the company may show off Spartan to the world at this time.

It’s obviously far too early to know what effect the release of Spartan will have, if indeed the sources are correct about its upcoming debut. If Spartan is released as part of Windows 10, will Microsoft also release versions that can run on competing operating systems, and if so, will it gain a significant portion of the mobile web browser market? We’ll be watching closely as more information becomes available.