Chrome closes in on Firefox's lead, analyst says

Google's Chrome browser continues to nibble away at Mozilla's Firefox for second place in the browser wars, according to figures from a Web analytics firm. Net Applications said that while Firefox kept second spot and Chrome third as of September 2011, Firefox's share is decreasing while Chrome's is increasing. On the other hand, Microsoft's Internet Explorer continues to hold on to the lead in September with 54.39 percent but its share has been going down as well since November 2010. As of September 2011, Firefox is second in terms of global usage with 22.48 percent, followed by Chrome with 16.20 percent. Apple's Safari was fourth with 5.02 percent while Opera was fifth with 1.67 percent. But the trend for Internet Explorer and Firefox from November 2010 to September 2011 has been downward so far. IE's share dropped from 60.35 percent in November 2010 to 54.39 percent in September 2011, while Firefox's dropped from 23.52 percent in November 2010 to 22.48 percent in September 2011. On the other hand, Chrome's share steadily climbed from 9.57 percent in November 2010 to 16.20 percent in September 2011. A separate article on tech site CNET said Chrome's gradual upward trend could help Google's profitability and its long-term plans for the Web. CNET added that on smartphones and tablets, Google's unbranded Android browser rose from 15.7 percent to 16.3 percent. Apple's Safari is the leader in smartphones and tablets, which rose from 53.0 percent to 54.7 percent; while Opera Mini dropped from 20.8 percent to 18.5 percent, CNET said. In September, mobile devices accounted for 6 percent of browsing traffic, compared to 93.7 percent for personal computers, Net Applications said. CNET noted browsers play a very important supporting role in Google's business, and the company has been investing aggressively in Chrome technology and marketing. It said the browser is geared to improve online services such as search, video, and Google Apps, all of which generate revenue for the company. Chrome also lets Google test and deploy technology it believes serves its goals for a responsive, interactive Web. Among those are: - its SPDY protocol for communications with Web pages - its WebM video technology, Native Client and faster JavaScript for more sophisticated Web applications - the Dart programming language Google hopes will do better than JavaScript, according to plans revealed in a leaked memo. — TJD, GMA News