By guest author Frank Anderson Letting go of the past and moving on from what once worked but has now become desperately outdated can often be difficult, especially for clients. But, sometimes you as an entrepreneur or a business owner have to bite the proverbial bullet and let them know change is what is best for both them and their businesses. A prime example of that hesitance to change from what once worked is Internet Explorer 6. But, even Microsoft, which unveiled IE6 a decade ago, is campaigning to stop people from using the outdated version, asking users to upgrade to IE7, 8 or 9. They hope to meet a lofty goal: Ensuring only one percent of Microsoft users in the world use Internet Explorer 6. Click here to check out their campaign.
As fewer people begin to use IE6, more organizations will be able to stop offering support for it altogether. Microsoft and Google stopped offering support for it quite some time ago. Other companies have already followed Microsoft and Google’s lead, finding it more cost effective. If you have IE6 and run into trouble, you might not find the help you need. The fact is IE6 is a decade old which, in the world of technology, is the equivalent of centuries. Technology changes fast, and businesses must stay on top of technology if they want to stay competitive. How do you tell clients that you don’t or will no longer be accommodating Internet Explorer 6? Well, some may not like the idea and may be resistant to change. Your challenge is going to be convincing them that newer versions are much better and will be much more effective to their business. So, let’s consider some points you can use to explain to your clients why you no longer accommodate IE6, as the world usage of the outdated internet browser dwindles to less than eight percent, according to Microsoft. IE6 security doesn’t cut it. IE6 is outdated and so are its security options. That means your company’s sensitive information is at risk because the security isn’t as technologically advanced as on the updated versions of Internet Explorer. Can your business really afford to leave itself open to security risks? On a personal level, are you willing to leave your personal information open to that kind of risk? It’s not cost-effective. As we already mentioned, using IE6 isn’t cost effective for you or for your clients. Explain to them that, should you need support for IE, you’re going to have to find a company that offers it. That’s going to cost you money which, in turn, means you’re going to have to pass that extra cost onto the client. IE6 just doesn’t work anymore. IE6 was arguably revolutionary when it first came out a decade ago. Times change, and IE6 hasn’t kept up because new versions hit the market. Businesses need the latest technology to be effective today. That means upgrading to IE7, 8, or 9. It’s being phased out. Eventually, IE6 is going to become completely obsolete. Your clients can’t afford to be the last ones to upgrade to a new browser. Instead of using programs that require IE6 and don’t have upgradable options, they need to start looking for alternatives now before it’s too late. Upgrading to IE 7, 8, or 9 isn’t going to be a choice soon. It’s going to be a necessity and clients who don’t change with the times will find that their company’s security is at risk; they will be behind the pack technologically, and they just won’t be able to keep up with the competition regardless of how stellar their product or service. Explaining to your clients that IE6 is fast becoming obsolete and showing them why may just help them take the move toward the future. Frank Anderson is a front-end web developer and blogger. He is also a moderator at the web hosting forum.