Rob Enderle, an analyst with Enderle Group, is . "It is a coming out party for Microsoft in what is probably the one of the most important products that they have in their portfolio. It's a pillar product," said Rob Enderle, principal analyst for the Enderle Group. "It moves the bar for the rest of the browser environment. Microsoft has kind of chased Firefox for most of the last decade. This is their chance to step ahead."

Meanwhile, Microsoft president of the Windows division, Steven Sinofsky, exclaims in a Microsoft press release, "Internet Explorer 9 uses the power of Windows and the whole PC to bring you a better Web."

Consumerization of IT

One of the trends that has defined technology for the past couple years is the consumerization of IT. Gadgets like iPhones and iPads are driving users to demand integration from IT admins, and blurring the line between what is a consumer gadget and what is a business computing tool.

In a keynote at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in July, Brad Brooks, corporate vice president of Windows consumer marketing and product management, said, "The things we use at home are the things we're being asked for at work. It's about how things fit with both my home life and my work life that defines a great product and product experiences. Some say a PC is not the future, that it's reached the limit. I think those people need to have their headbone checked out. We are just seeing an amazing breadth of innovation and form factors from our manufacturing partners. Windows 7 takes PC to a whole new level: the cloud: the personal cloud."