Aiming to regain some of its lost ground, the Redmond, Washington based software giant, Microsoft released its Internet Explorer 8's near-final "release candidate" version on Monday.

Internet Explorer 8, the next version of Microsoft's web browser, was released with some added features, like private browsing, improved security, and accelerators - the new type of add-ons.

In order to fortify the security of Internet Explorer 8, the software maker added to the web browser, the cross-site scripting filter and protections against the attack called clickjacking.

The company will make little changes between the release candidate and the final version, stated IE General Manager Dean Hachamovitch, in an interview. Hachamovitch said, "The ecosystem should expect the final candidate to behave like the release candidate." However, he did not disclose when the final version will be brought out.

According to Microsoft, Internet Explorer 8 is designed to work smoothly with Windows XP (Service Pack 2 or later) and Windows Vista. The company is also promising for a version of Internet Explorer 8 built into Windows 7. However, the Internet Explorer code in Windows 7 is a pre-release candidate version.

In a statement, Microsoft said, "Windows 7 enables unique features and functionality in Internet Explorer 8 including Windows Touch and Jump Lists which require additional product tests to ensure we are providing the best Windows experience for our customers. Microsoft will continue to update the version of Internet Explorer 8 running on Windows 7 as the development cycles of Windows 7 progress."