NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Microsoft is giving an early look of its next version of its Internet Explorer browser program, one with new security provisions as well as search and multitasking functions.

The new "beta" version comes as Microsoft (Research) is facing defections to upstart browsers such as Firefox and Safari. The Washington Post reported Wednesday that IE's market share now stands at just under 85 percent, down from nearly 89 percent a year ago.

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The beta 2 version of Internet Explorer 7, which is now available for download from Microsoft's Web site, provides color-coded warnings when a user tries to access a Web site that is suspicious or known as fraudulent.

"Overall, for IE7, the principles we used were safer, easier and more powerful," Dean Hachamovitch, general manager of Internet Explorer, told the Post.

Other new features allow users to automatically open several frequently used Web sites at once using tabs on a single Web page, as well as aggregating searches from various sources. Microsoft's site said it is also improving printing of Web pages so the content doesn't get cut off on the right side of the page.

The final version of the browser is expected to be released later this year, according to the Post. The new version comes as Microsoft has delayed the release of the newest version of its Windows operating system, known as Vista, until early next year.

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