Recently, Microsoft found itself embracing web standards to make Internet Explorer more attractive to developers and users alike. However, there was one standard Microsoft was reluctant to embrace, and that was WebGL.

That isn't the case anymore, as for some strange unknown reason, Microsoft has bowed under pressure and has chosen to put its support behind WebGL by incorporating it into Internet Explorer 11. The information came via web developer Francois Remy, who did some digging into an early build of Windows Blue, where he managed to come across references regarding to WebGL. This is a clear sign that support for the platform could be in the works for Internet Explorer 11.

If this happens, Microsoft's new browser would stand neck-to-neck with Google Chrome performance-wise. Still, that alone wouldn't be enough to convince many users to switch to Internet Explorer 11 due to a missing extensive add-on package.

For those who are unaware, the reason behind Microsoft's decision not to support WebGL in the first place, had all to do with security. According to Microsoft's own Security Research and Defense Team via TechNet, "Browser support for WebGL directly exposes hardware functionality to the web in a way that we consider to be overly permissive." They went on to state, "We believe that WebGL will likely become an ongoing source of hard-to-fix vulnerabilities."

That was 2 years ago, things have changed and Microsoft is no long viewing WebGL as a potential threat to its web browser and its operating system. However, it would be interesting to know what has changed so much in the past 2 years for Microsoft to change its tune.

Internet Explorer 11 is schedule to hit Windows 8 PCs around the world later in the year as a part of the new Windows Blue update. The update promises to bring a host of new features and improvements to Windows 8 to help it become a friendlier operating system for tablets and general use.