Microsoft has given out the first details of what might appear in the next version of its web browser Internet Explorer 8.

The latest edition, version 7, was released only a few months ago, to coincide with the release of Vista, the new version of Windows. The next version of Internet Explorer is expected to be released in approximately 18 months.

At the company's Mix'07 conference for web site designers, Microsoft hinted at some of the features that may appear in the next edition. These include improved support for the syndication format RSS, which allows users to easily keep track of blogs and news sites.

Support for new technologies such as Ajax, which is used by many so-called 'Web 2.0' sites such as Flickr, will also be improved. Web pages will also look better on the new browser, thanks to enhancements in the way Internet Explorer handles the CSS code that makes up some sites.

According to technology website Ars Technica, the commitment to Internet Explorer 8 indicates how competitive the browser market has become, with the alternative Firefox and Opera browsers gaining large minorities in many countries.

Ars Technica's Jeremy Reimer said: "When Internet Explorer 6 finally vanquished [its rival] Netscape, the team that created Microsoft's browser was largely thrown to the winds, and development slowed to a crawl."

Internet Explorer 8 is also expected to include support for 'microformats', codes embedded in pages that can be interpreted by other software such as calendar programs. It may also include the ability to customise the way the browser looks, as is possible with Firefox.