Web developers around the world are beside themselves with the announcement of Kogan's Internet Explorer 7 tax. Kogan, an online electronics retailer in Australia, was fed up at having to spend time and money attempting to make their pages render correctly on Microsoft's old browser. In an attempt to dissuade people from using the browser, Kogan is now levying a 6.8 percent tax on all purchases made on IE 7.
The 6.8 percent tax is symbolic, as it corresponds to how long Internet Explorer 7 has been out. (Each 0.1 percent is equivalent to a month's time.) The tax is sure to upset some older folks who aren't web-savvy, but Kogan has put in helpful instructions for how users can update their version of Internet Explorer. The web development community seems overjoyed by the Internet Explorer 7 tax, which means that more online retailers in the future may adopt a similar strategy.
What's Driving This Trend
- Obsolete Technology Taxes
- Online retailers and service providers will implement obsolete technology taxes to create an incentive for consumers to upgrade to newer technology.
- Web Compatibility Services
- There will be a growing demand for web development services that ensure complete compatibility across all platforms and browsers.
- Browsers Consolidation
- Multiple browsers may consolidate as consumers and service providers move away from less compatible options.
Who This Affects Most
- Ecommerce
- Ecommerce websites will adopt obsolete technology taxes to ensure compatibility with modern browsers.
- Web Development
- Web development companies will need to ensure compatibility across all platforms and browsers to remain competitive in the industry.
- Browser Development
- Browser developers will need to ensure full compatibility with web standards to avoid losing market share to more compatible browsers.
