So, what is ActiveX? Well, basically it's the plug-in system for IE. Many websites use these to extend the basic features of IE, particularly complex web applications.
In late February, Microsoft managed to put the wind up developers by bringing forward the availability of these updates, so developers could download and test the new updates against their own sites and make any necessary changes. With the updates due to go public on April the 11th, and already shipping in new versions of windows, the clock's ticking to get any fixes in place before users start feeling the impact.
In response to high pitched squealing noises from the developer community, Microsoft have taken their foot off the gas - but only slightly. Microsoft have released a "compatibility patch" which will allow old code to run on the new ActiveX architecture, but only until the 2nd of June this year. The message is still clear then - if your website uses Active X, the onus really is on you to make sure your site is ready and able for the upcoming update.
For the latest direct from Microsoft, see the MSR blog page:
http://blogs.technet.com / msrc / archive / 2006 / 03 / 29 / 423560.aspx
