Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications

    Firefox Inches Ahead One More Point

    By
    Matthew Hicks
    -
    May 10, 2005
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Neither Microsofts news of an upcoming Internet Explorer upgrade nor reports of potential Mozilla security holes appears to have dampened user enthusiasm for the Firefox browser.

      The open-source Web browser has gained one more percentage point in U.S. user share against Microsoft Corp.s IE browser during the past two months, reported WebSideStory Inc. on Tuesday.

      As of the end of April, Firefox rose to 6.8 percent of browser usage, while IE dropped one percentage point to 88.9 percent, according to WebSideStory.

      The Web analytics and digital marketing company, based in San Diego, Calif., tracks browser usage based on the percentage of unique browsers hitting its network of sites, which reach more than 30 million Internet users each day.

      Since WebSideStory began tracking Firefox in November, the browser has more than doubled its user share, while IE has fallen below 90 percent for the first time in three years.

      But Firefox also has settled into a slower pace of growth, compared to the big boost it received following its 1.0 release last year, said WebSideStory analyst Geoff Johnston.

      That slowdown could make it tougher for the Mozilla Foundation to meet its stated goal for 2005 of reaching 10 percent usage share in the United States, though Johnston said he expects Firefox to eventually reach that threshold.

      /zimages/4/28571.gifClick here to read an interview with Mozilla President Mitchell Baker, wherein she discusses the 10 percent goal.

      “Its going to be pretty tight,” Johnston said. “Instead of seeing a full percentage point every two months, were seeing it every three months.

      “It seems like its a natural change as the early-adopter buzz is dying down. Its probably a healthy thing for Firefox, because it means that its not all buzz-driven but from a groundswell that its increasing.”

      Still, other usage surveys are showing that Firefox is making bigger gains on IE. In its April report on worldwide usage, OneStat.com found that Firefox held an 8.7 percent share, while IE had an 86.6 percent share.

      A survey released last month by management consultant Janco Associates Inc. found that 10.3 percent of business professionals were using Firefox, compared to 83.1 percent for IE.

      The Web browser market also could undergo more significant shifts starting this summer as both Microsoft and Mozilla are expected to release updates for their browsers.

      Mozilla, of Mountain View, Calif., is working on Firefox 1.1, which was originally slated for a full release in June. Among its enhancements will be native browser support for the SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) standard.

      Meanwhile, Microsoft is planning to begin a beta test of IE 7 this summer. The Redmond, Wash.-based software maker has not pinned a date for a full release.

      /zimages/4/28571.gifRead more here about Microsofts IE 7 plans.

      While IE 7 will mark the first time Microsoft has released a major browser since IE 6s 2001 release, Johnston said he doubts it will cause an immediate change in usage.

      “I suspect the IE release will not change the market share numbers back, but will slow down the bleeding for IE,” he said.

      Mozilla also has battled four major security reports in three month, the most recent occurring this week when Mozilla acknowledged an extremely critical security hole that could let an attacker execute malicious code.

      As for other Web browsers, they showed little shifting in WebSideStorys latest numbers. Netscape and non-Firefox Mozilla browsers accounted for 2.2 percent usage, while browsers such as Opera and Safari made up a 2.1 percent share.

      /zimages/4/28571.gifCheck out eWEEK.coms for the latest news, reviews and analysis about productivity and business solutions.

      Matthew Hicks
      As an online reporter for eWEEK.com, Matt Hicks covers the fast-changing developments in Internet technologies. His coverage includes the growing field of Web conferencing software and services. With eight years as a business and technology journalist, Matt has gained insight into the market strategies of IT vendors as well as the needs of enterprise IT managers. He joined Ziff Davis in 1999 as a staff writer for the former Strategies section of eWEEK, where he wrote in-depth features about corporate strategies for e-business and enterprise software. In 2002, he moved to the News department at the magazine as a senior writer specializing in coverage of database software and enterprise networking. Later that year Matt started a yearlong fellowship in Washington, DC, after being awarded an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellowship for Journalist. As a fellow, he spent nine months working on policy issues, including technology policy, in for a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He rejoined Ziff Davis in August 2003 as a reporter dedicated to online coverage for eWEEK.com. Along with Web conferencing, he follows search engines, Web browsers, speech technology and the Internet domain-naming system.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Big Data and Analytics

      Alteryx’s Suresh Vittal on the Democratization of...

      James Maguire - May 31, 2022 0
      I spoke with Suresh Vittal, Chief Product Officer at Alteryx, about the industry mega-shift toward making data analytics tools accessible to a company’s complete...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×