Google to discontinue Chrome Frame

January 2014 is the date after which Chrome Frame will no longer be supported or updated. Google made the announcement recently. Internet explorer, versions 6 to 9, will implicitly switch to the Chrome driven display mode when the plug in is added to IE.

This will mean that Chrome will have one less platform to maintain where security updates are concerned. Using Chrome Frame, they were effectively exposing themselves to possible security vulnerabilities from two browser code bases at once.

The fate of Chrome Frame is similar to that of Google Gears; between 2007 and 2011, Google Gears also aimed to provide web browsers with modern web interfaces, until it was eventually no longer required. Google released the first version of its Chrome in a Microsoft skin in 2009, but Chrome's usage figures have surpassed those of Internet Explorer in many places, and the obsolete older versions of IE are gradually on their way out.

Google recommends that private users switch to a modern browser such as Chrome, and that the administrators of corporate networks in which older versions of Internet Explorer are still in frequent use consider Chrome for Business. An FAQ explains the (very minimal) consequences of the decision for web developers.