14 DAY TRIAL // In June 2009 Microsoft calculated that the nutritious equivalent of anInternet Explorer 8 download was no less than eight meals. Now the Redmond company is saying that it considers upgrades from Internet Explorer 6 to Internet Explorer 8 no less than twice as nutritious. In response to Feeding America kicking off the Hunger Action Month, Microsoft announced that it expanded the “Browser for the Better” campaign. The software giant is prepared to donate no less than eight meals for every download of plain vanilla IE8 via the Browser for the Better website to Feeding America. At the same time, users who upgrade from IE6 to IE8 will have Microsoft donate no less than 16 meals to feed hungry Americans.
“We are announcing that we are extending the Browser for the Better Campaign with Internet Explorer 8. We will continue to help fight hunger by donating 8 meals for every download of Internet Explorer 8 throughout the month of September. September is Hunger Action Month,” revealed Brandon LeBlanc, Windows communications manager on the Windows Client Communications Team. “We want to encourage our customers to upgrade to a modern and secure browser – so we are doubling donations for people who switch from Internet Explorer 6 to Internet Explorer 8 through this campaign. If you move from Internet Explorer 6 to Internet Explorer 8, we will donate 16 meals to help fight hunger!”
According to statistics provided by Feeding America, the organization’s 205 food banks nation-wide are laboring to provide food for Americans struggling with hunger, an estimated 36 million people across the US. Microsoft is not only donating meals in accordance with Internet Explorer downloads, but also providing Feed America with media on MSN.com. Internet Explorer 8 was released in March 2009 and, in June of this year, the software giant launched the Browser for the Better website.
"The demand for food assistance nationwide has increased 30 percent throughout the last year and in many communities the increase is much higher," explained Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding America. "The effects of the economic recession are being felt by more and more households each day. Hunger Action Month spearheads our ongoing campaign to raise awareness and to help the 36 million people who are at risk of hunger in America. We are thankful to the corporations who have stepped up to the plate and are helping shine a spotlight on this solvable problem."
Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) RTW is available for download here (for 32-bit and 64-bit flavors of Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008).