FutureWire - futurism and emerging technology

Friday, May 13, 2005

IE Share of Browser Market Falls Below 90%

A year's worth of security worries and competition from other browsers has put a dent in the US market share of Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) browser. The Web tracking firm WebSideStory estimates that IE's market share is now 89%, compared with 95% last June.

The open-source browser Firefox has increased its market share to nearly 7%, up from 3% in October. America Online's Netscape browser has a 2.2% share.

Not helping Microsoft's cause is IBM's recent endorsement of Firefox. Big Blue is encouraging its 300,000 employees worldwide to adopt the browser.

IE remains strong in Asia, commanding a 98% share in China. But in Germany, where some government offices have adopted Firefox, IE's market share is below 70%.

Sources: ZDNet, AP (Excite)