Microsoft officially launched its latest web browser Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) in mid-March 2011.  In comparison with IE8 and IE7, IE9 is clearly faster and safer than its predecessors.  Furthermore, Microsoft claims that IE9 even outperforms some rival browsers.  In order to allow offices, support units and application developers to have more time to prepare for IE9 support, the Computing Services Centre (CSC) has adopted a temporary policy to prevent IE9 from being downloaded automatically to computers which are joined to the University’s CityUMD domain (i.e. all Staff LAN and Student LAN PCs, except the CSC Student LAN PCs in which IE9 has already been set up in the Win7 environment).

Subsequently, an email message was sent to the Departmental Network Administrators (DNAs) in May 2011 to remind them to visit Microsoft’s downloading website to obtain IE9 directly, test their systems and in-house developed applications thoroughly with it and let the CSC know their progress.  In May 2012,  the CSC sent DNAs a final reminder to check their readiness for the support of IE9 and subsequently did not receive any unsatisfactory testing results from departments. Nor did the CSC receive any problem report from students on using IE9 on the Student LAN PCs.