IE Meets Stiff Competition From Chrome And Firefox After 15 Years

Due to the symbiotic relationship it has with Windows, IE has dominated the browser space since it beat out Netscape almost ten years ago.

Nonetheless, dot net developers say that a steady stagnation following the release of Windows XP in 2001, competitors like Firefox and Google Chrome made headway. With IE celebrating its 15th birthday as a market leader, it is also in stiff competition with rivals.

Analysts say that IE has never been so important partly because it has so many rivals. By July, Microsoft reeled in about 60% of market share, acquiring share for two consecutive months after losing out to Chrome and Firefox. Meanwhile, Firefox has captured 23% of market share, Chrome has 7% share, while Apple’s Safari has just 5% percent, reports Net Applications.

The ever-innovative Google is attempting to make a statement that with a first class browser like Chrome along with the Web based services it offers, basic PCs do not require other programs to function well. This case is to be made when the first of its kind Chrome OS-based netbooks will hit the market later in the year.

However, Microsoft is not going to be sidelined by newcomers. The Richmond-Seattle based firm would like to make a similar statement that Windows are still vital to the PC. With the release of IE9, Microsoft will be reasserting its space in the browser wars and validating the power of the PC – this will be done by taking advantage of the graphics power that is built into modern PCs, reports CNET news.