New Year. New technology. New software losing support. As manufacturers and tech companies release new devices and new operating systems, they often clean house and stop supporting old programs. This allows them to devote more time and resources to newer systems. Like we did last year, we want to give you a brief overview of what’s losing support in 2021 so you can stay productive and protected!

Microsoft usually has one of the largest lists of changes come the New Year. While this year’s list is smaller than last year’s, there is one important change to note: Office 365 will no longer support Internet Explorer. This will become effective on August 17, 2021.

There aren’t many operating systems offering Internet Explorer support anymore due to security concerns, so we recommend moving to a different browser, whether that’s Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or even Edge.

Some other Windows programs losing support include:

• Microsoft Office Apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote) for Windows 10 Phones (January 21, 2021)
• Adobe Flash (January 31, 2021)
• Windows 10 versions 1809 and 1909 (May 11, 2021)
• Edge on Windows 7 (July 15, 2021)
• Skype for Business Online (July 31, 2021)
• Silverlight 5 (October 12, 2021)

While Android devices won’t lose support, Android itself will stop supporting many websites in 2021. Users who have a version of Android 7.1.1 will notice secure websites (with HTTPS) failing on their device. That’s because Android 7.1.1 will stop supporting security certificates. This will impact a large number of Android users (over 30%).

It is recommended that users upgrade their Android device or download Firefox to get around the security issue.

Like Microsoft, Google will also stop offering Internet Explorer support. This will start on March 15, 2021, across Google’s workspace apps. This includes Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs/Sheets/Slides, Meet, and Chat. If your business is still relying on Internet Explorer, we recommend moving to a new browser sooner rather than later. Delaying could result in a major disruption to your flow of operations.

Another (although less major) change will come to Google’s Chrome Apps. Chrome apps will no longer work after June 2021. Chrome Apps haven’t been widely used (less than 1% of Chrome users actually download the apps), so they won’t likely be missed. Any app developer with a Chrome App should instead develop a more popular Chrome Extension.

We can’t stress enough how important it is to update and upgrade your software and operating systems! Doing so will help protect your devices and data from hackers, malware, and more. It will also make sure you have the support you need so your business never misses a beat!

If you have questions about Internet Explorer support or any other update coming in 2021, don’t hesitate to contact our IT security team today. They’ll help you prepare for tech’s big changes and keep your operations running.