Read the CNET article Accessing the shell Who's building on our browser? Resources at the ready Build your own browser

In just about every field of software, developers are using the Internet to offer valuable and interesting new capabilities to customers. Increasingly, they're turning to Microsoft Internet Explorer to do so.

Since Microsoft released version 3.0 of its browser in August of 1996, software developers have been using Internet Explorer's component architecture to add browsing, conferencing, and other Internet functionality to their offerings. Being able to simply "plug in" these capabilities from Internet Explorer frees developers to focus on delivering innovations to the Internet experience, rather than having to build each piece of their product from scratch.

This aspect of Microsoft's browser software is starting to get more attention. Internet Explorer has garnered lots of kudos in the press as the browser that's winning the competitive reviews, but now it's also getting its due as a software development platform. The most recent example is an artcle by CNET's Rafe Needleman, who wrote: "The Redmond company built its Windows browser as a set of components, making it attractively easy for other vendors to incorporate it into any of their applications that need Web capabilities. So far, Netscape hasn't followed suit, and it's really starting to hurt them in the browser wars."

Now you have access to the shell
Internet Explorer 3.0 was the first browser that could serve as a set of reusable software components in custom software solutions. With Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0, this browser component object offers even more room for innovation because it actually becomes an integrated part of the Windows shell. This allows the shell to implement the rich browsing functionality of Microsoft Internet Explorer everywhere. That, in turn, eliminates the need for users to choose between an Internet or Windows Explorer application -- and then wait for it to load -- because all the tools they need (such as Back and Forward buttons, an Address bar, Favorites menu, etc.) are always available in a single Explorer executable.

When developers base their offerings on Internet Explorer, all the paradigms users know from Web browsing -- such as single-click activation of icons and links and hover select -- can be used in Windows, since the browser is truly "everywhere." Finally, with the browser now "built in," customized views of any directory on the local PC or LAN can be created in HTML to make Web views that are as easy to navigate as any Web page -- without requiring a Web server to implement them.

Who's using Internet Explorer in their products?
The most recent example of what Internet Explorer can deliver as a platform was on display at Super Bowl XXXII, where hundreds of seats were equipped with an interactive touch screen application called ChoiceSeat. Fans were able to call up replays, statistics, and more with the application, which was developed by Williams' Vyvx video services company with Venue Media and runs on Internet Explorer 4.0.

Many top online services and independent software vendors are adopting Internet Explorer 4.0 as a key technology to integrate advanced Internet and intranet functionality into their applications. They include AirMedia, America Online Inc., BackWeb, CompuServe, FirstFloor Software, Intuit Inc., Lotus Development Corp., MSN™, The Microsoft Network, Pointcast Inc. and Prodigy Internet.

Over the next year these companies will ship millions of copies of software integrating Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0.

Resources to help get you started
The main tool to help software developers and Web authors build Web applications based on Internet Explorer 4.0 technology is the SBN Workshop (Site Builder's Network Workshop). It is free for download and available on CD for a nominal fee.

For a wide range of Web development resources and information, visit Site Builder Network.

MSDN Online is the first place you should look for information on all of Microsoft’s developer resources. The MSDN Online Membership and Subscription programs give you deep access to the broad range of developer offerings from Microsoft.