Is Microsoft Falling Behind In The Browser Wars

Photo of Douglas A. McIntyre
By Douglas A. McIntyre Published
This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them.

For Microsoft (MSFT), the Internet Explorer browser is more than another piece of software. It is a strategic element of the company’s effort to build a large online presence to compete with Google (GOOG) and Yahoo! (YHOO).

Microsoft took the browser lead from Netscape almost a decade ago in a series of moves that lead to antitrust suits. Although the legal troubles cause Redmond a headache, it had built such a formidable lead that it could use Internet Explorer to promote its only portal, MSN, and also distribute its Microsoft Live search capability.

As Google has moved into server-based document and spreadsheet software, Internet Explorer gives MSFT a platform to provide it an edge to compete in these businesses.

In a recent poll from TechCruch, the tech site found that 49% of high tech user base use IE competitor Firefox. Internet Explorer finished second with 40%. Granted, this is a very advanced user base.

TechCrunch also points out that 400 million copies of Firefox have been downloaded in three years and the browser has 120 million regular users.

It would be bad news for Microsoft to lose any more ground in the browser business, but it is beginning to look like that is probable.

Douglas A. McIntyre

Photo of Douglas A. McIntyre
About the Author Douglas A. McIntyre →

Douglas A. McIntyre is the co-founder, chief executive officer and editor in chief of 24/7 Wall St. and 24/7 Tempo. He has held these jobs since 2006.

McIntyre has written thousands of articles for 24/7 Wall St. He is an expert on corporate finance, the automotive industry, media companies and international finance. He has edited articles on national demographics, sports, personal income and travel.

His work has been quoted or mentioned in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, NBC News, Time, The New Yorker, HuffPost USA Today, Business Insider, Yahoo, AOL, MarketWatch, The Atlantic, Bloomberg, New York Post, Chicago Tribune, Forbes, The Guardian and many other major publications. McIntyre has been a guest on CNBC, the BBC and television and radio stations across the country.

A magna cum laude graduate of Harvard College, McIntyre also was president of The Harvard Advocate. Founded in 1866, the Advocate is the oldest college publication in the United States.

TheStreet.com, Comps.com and Edgar Online are some of the public companies for which McIntyre served on the board of directors. He was a Vicinity Corporation board member when the company was sold to Microsoft in 2002. He served on the audit committees of some of these companies.

McIntyre has been the CEO of FutureSource, a provider of trading terminals and news to commodities and futures traders. He was president of Switchboard, the online phone directory company. He served as chairman and CEO of On2 Technologies, the video compression company that provided video compression software for Adobe’s Flash. Google bought On2 in 2009.

Continue Reading

Top Gaining Stocks

DVA Vol: 1,970,920
SMCI Vol: 89,292,094
AMD
AMD Vol: 68,638,873
DOC Vol: 19,336,383

Top Losing Stocks

CDW
CDW Vol: 4,557,248
TECH Vol: 6,717,600
COR Vol: 5,476,238
ANET Vol: 25,095,269
SWKS Vol: 6,024,830