IEAK can be used by organizations to customize the settings for the browser, integrate add-ons, change branding of the browser to use customized logos, and centrally manage the distribution of the software.[3] The IEAK consists of several components, including:
Internet Explorer Customization Wizard, which lets an organization customize the configuration of the browser, and create redistributable packages with the customizations applied.[4]
IEAK Profile Manager, which lets create multiple sets of IE settings and customizations. Any of the set can then be quickly selected for building the redistributable.[5]
IEAK Toolkit, which provides tools, sample scripts and resources such as bitmaps (introduced inInternet Explorer 6).[6]
The first version of IEAK, version 3.0, was released in September 1996, ahead of the release ofInternet Explorer 3 in 1997.[7] It competed withNetscape's Mission Control software, which retailed forUS$1,295 (equivalent to $2,597 in 2025); meanwhile, Microsoft offered IEAK free of charge.[8][9] Since the release of IEAK 3.0, there has been a corresponding IEAK for every Internet Explorer release, culminating with the final version of Internet Explorer,version 11, in 2013.[10] By the time of IEAK 4.0's release in late 1997, it was in use by over 2,000 licensed users.[11]
