Internet Explorer Share Slips Below 90%

[Tami]

Internet Explorer share slips below 90 per cent
Associated Press

NEW YORK — Microsoft Corp.'s share of the U.S. browser market has slipped below 90 per cent as the Firefox browser continues to grow in popularity, according to independent tracking by WebSideStory.

Firefox, an open-source browser collectively developed by the Internet community under the Mozilla Foundation, had a 6.8 per cent share as of April 29, an increase from 3.0 per cent since WebSideStory began tracking Firefox separately in October.

Other browsers based on the Mozilla code, including America On-line Inc.'s Netscape, had a 2.2 per cent share, while Microsoft's Internet Explorer share was 89 per cent , a drop from 95 per cent in June.

The figures are for all operating systems combined. On computers running Microsoft's Windows, Internet Explorer has a 91 per cent share, down from 97 per cent in June.

Outside the United States, Germany is among the leading adopters of Firefox, with a 23 per cent share, compared with 69 per cent for Internet Explorer.

"They just seem to be averse to Microsoft products and really interested relatively in these open-source products," said Geoff Johnston, a WebSideStory analyst.

Microsoft is strong in Asia, with Internet Explorer commanding a share of 94 per cent in Japan and 98 per cent in China.

[url=\"http://www.globetechnology.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050512.gtbit2may12/BNStory/Technology/\"]source: Globe Technology[/url]