Software giant Microsoft will release the beta of the next version of its Internet Explorer program next month, the company has announced.
The company said on the IE blog that web developers, designers and bloggers have begun receiving their invitations to a press event next month to mark the launch of the next beta.
Already early versions of the program have been met with solid reception, with over 2.5 million platform preview downloads.
Microsoft will be attempting to challenge rivals Mozilla, Apple and Google by making its IE software powerful enough to run versions of apps that could replace desktop versions. The Firefox and Chrome browsers are focussed on the same goal.
Microsoft has been attempting to keep its hold on the internet browser market, but rivals like Mozilla’s Firefox and Google Chrome are stealing away market share as they become more popular.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
