Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 Is World’s FastestGrowing Browser —
Zona Research Indicates Microsoft Internet Explorer Share Now 28 Percent
REDMOND, Wash.- Jan. 28, 1997 –Microsoft Corp. today announced that recent surveys indicate
Microsoft Internet Explorer
is now the fastest-growing Web browser across the board among corporations, consumers and Web professionals. A Zona Research study released today reports that use of Microsoft Internet Explorer in corporations has more than tripled to 28 percent of total use in the past three months; a study by Market Decisions reports that overall consumer use has grown over 260 percent since March 1996; and TRG, an independent market research firm, shows the percentage of corporate Web sites optimized for Microsoft Internet Explorer rose by 38 percent over the past three months.
Independent Studies Confirm Corporations Moving to Microsoft Internet Explorer From Netscape Navigator
Microsoft Internet Explorer provides corporations with a robust intranet client solution with its ease of administration and customizable features. Corporations are increasingly moving to Microsoft Internet Explorer, as evidenced by the following:
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A Zona Research study, released today, reports that the Microsoft Internet Explorer Web browser has increased its usage among corporate users by 350 percent over the past four months – and that its rising popularity has come at the expense of Netscape Navigator, which lost more than 15 percent of its installed base on corporate desktops during the same period. Zona’s study also found that use of Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 more than tripled, from 8 percent in August 1996 to 28 percent in December 1996. At the same time, use of Netscape Navigator dropped from 83 percent to 70 percent. These figures show the gap between usage of the two browsers has been cut nearly in half since August 1996.
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Independent research firm TRG, in a study conducted between September 1996 and January 1997,reported that among companies which have standardized on a Web browser in that time, more have chosen Microsoft Internet Explorer than Netscape Navigator.
Companies are rapidly making the move to Microsoft Internet Explorer. Reynolds Metals Co. announced last week that it had switched from Netscape Navigator to Microsoft Internet Explorer, joining companies – including Arthur Andersen, Compaq Computer Corp., Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P., Intergraph Corp. and Sprint PCS – that have chosen Microsoft Internet Explorer as their standard browser in just the past two months.
More Users Choosing Microsoft Internet Explorer Than Ever Before
Microsoft Internet Explorer has won user and industry acclaim, winning nine out of 10 top industry publication reviews on the strength of its ease of use and customizable interface. Popularity of Microsoft Internet Explorer among users is at an all-time high, as evidenced by the following:
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A study by independent research firm Market Decisions reports that overall consumer use of Microsoft Internet Explorer has grown by 260 percent since March 1996.The study also found that 32 percent of new PC purchasers use Microsoft Internet Explorer, compared to 44 percent using Netscape Navigator.
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Browserwatch ((http://www.browserwatch.com/) figures show Microsoft Internet Explorer usage grew 310 percent between July 1996 and January 1997, while Netscape Navigator usage declined 160 percent.
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In only five months since the launch of Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0, the use of Microsoft Internet Explorer among visitors to popular Web sites has grown substantially. Many top sites, as measured by PC-Meter and others, report that use of Microsoft Internet Explorer now averages above 20 percent.
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In addition, the worldwide popularity of Microsoft Internet Explorer is demonstrated on top international sites:
“Since the release of Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0, traffic on HotWired sites using the Microsoft Internet Explorer browser increased from less than 5 percent to over 20 percent,”
said Andrew Anker, CEO of HotWired Inc.
”
This is telling because HotWired’s core membership comprises many of the Web’s most experienced users – its opinion leaders. We’re keeping an especially close eye on the growing Microsoft Internet Explorer traffic to our Wired News site ((http://www.wired.com/)), whose daily coverage of digital news is targeted directly at the Net’s savviest segment.”
“Internet Link Exchange serves more than 100 million banner ads a month on our network of more than 75,000 active member sites,”
said Alan Shusterman, director of market research at Internet Link Exchange.
“The data from our member sites clearly show that Microsoft Internet Explorer is the fastest-growing browser we track.”
More Web Professionals Use and Optimize Sites for Microsoft Internet Explorer
Microsoft Internet Explorer offers the best Web authoring platform for developers through its leading support for core Internet technologies such as the latest HTML standards, Java
™
and ActiveX
™
technologies. Web professionals are moving to Microsoft Internet Explorer in record numbers, as illustrated by the latest quarterly Web professionals tracking study conducted by TRG, an independent market research firm:
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The percentage of corporate Web sites optimized for Microsoft Internet Explorer rose by 38 percent over the past three months, while the percentage of sites optimized for Netscape Navigator fell by 33 percent.
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Microsoft Internet Explorer’s overall use among Web professionals has more than doubled since September, with 25 percent citing it as their primary browser, up from 10 percent four months ago. Over the same period, Navigator’s share among this group dropped by 10 percent, from 79 percent to 71 percent.
Worldwide Product Availability and Relationships Expected to Continue Growth
Microsoft Internet Explorer is available to millions of users worldwide through Microsoft’s Web site (http://www.microsoft.com/ie//), as the preferred or default browser on major online services, and through thousands of Internet service providers. Microsoft Internet Explorer is available to more users every day:
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Versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer are available worldwide in more than 30 languages on multiple platforms, offering more international support than any other leading browser.
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Millions of people are using Microsoft Internet Explorer through Microsoft’s alliances with Internet service providers and online services including America Online, CompuServe, MSN
™
: The Microsoft Network, Prodigy, AT & T WorldNet, Earthlink Network, IDT Internet, Mindspring, NetCom, MCI and Spry, representing over 14 million customers, half the installed base of active Internet users in the United States. -
In addition, over 6,500 Internet service providers worldwide have licensed Microsoft Internet Explorer for distribution to their customers.
“We’re very excited that Microsoft Internet Explorer is being embraced by more companies, webmasters and users than ever before,”
said Brad Chase, vice president of the Internet client and collaboration division at Microsoft.
“With the recent releases of Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 for Windows®3.1 and Macintosh, and on the strength of our promotional relationships, we expect this growth to continue.”
“Demand for Microsoft Internet Explorer from our users has been growing at an unprecedented rate,”
said David Gang, vice president at America Online, whose users generate more than 230 million Web hits a day.
“More than 750,000 of our users have already selected Microsoft Internet Explorer as their browser, and we expect that number to grow to over 4 million users by the end of March.”
Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 is available for free download (except for connect-time charges, if any) for the Windows 95, Windows NT® Workstation 4.0 and Windows 3.1 operating systems and Macintosh from the Microsoft Web site athttp://www.microsoft.com/ie//.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
Microsoft, ActiveX, MSN, Windows and Windows NT are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
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