Firefox-Google Deal Renewal Time, Will Bing Get Google’s Place?
Firefox has been an amazing internet browser indeed. Way back in 2003, it was Firefox that got the internet users fed up of monotony of Internet Explorer 6 all on its own, when there was no other way out. It then made a great place for itself among the other internet browsers.
However, it was just the last week when it was found to have gone down the ladder and as Google’s browser Chrome has taken a place above it as it has now got about 25% market share compared to mere 3% market share that it had two years back. This latest figure matches with the usage of Firefox across the globe.
Now with this incredible success of Google’s Chrome, Internet Explorer and Firefox has got the setback of getting their market share reduced. But the worst effected one is Opera as it already had quite a small market share and now its market has shrunk further. And in the meanwhile Apple’s Safari has made a better place for itself.
Talking about the Mozilla and the development plans of Firefox, it seems that it may have to go through a rough path as it mostly depends on the revenues that it gets from the browser’s built in Google Toolbar. Mozilla itself informed that more than 80% of its income for the years 2009 and 2010 came up from the partnership of the company with Google which got it about $100 million for each of the years.
The interesting twist in the scene is that with Chrome’s success, Google may cut down its expenditure on its Firefox-Google deal which recently got over this last November itself and now it is up for a renewal. Google may not look forward to a deal with it competitor and may instead go for the leverage of its own browser.
But then there is one more twist in the scene that even Microsoft has come up to show itself in the scene. As by the end of October itself it started offering “Firefox with Bing” and in fact Mozilla has become its new favorite even when it is a competitor of its Internet Explorer.
Taking a look at the mobile browsing world, Firefox just couldn’t make its presence felt in the smart phone world which is the pulse of the time and where all its competitors have already made their dominion if not lot much, still quite a bit. Safari has its place on iOS, Chrome on Android, and Opera Mini can also be found on various different platforms with some success. And now Microsoft is also busy making its IE competitive with placing it as a browser choice for Windows Phone users and eyeing upon having it presence on tablets with the arrival of Windows 8.
With all these circumstance around, will Firefox be dead in the coming future? Firefox has surely fared bad in the mobile front and it didn’t do anything to stay above Chrome in the desktop browser battle.
Now how will it be faring in future depends on funding. Will Google be funding it? That’s a question which hasn’t yet got any answer. And if Google resolves not to turn up, will Microsoft really come to help out Mozilla with funding? Researchers consider Facebook and Amazon as two other possible parties that may come up in funding Firefox, but this only the time will clear out, whether or not the things suspected by the researchers will really happen. However for now, Firefox continues to hold 25% market share.
Chrome seems to be overpowering Firefox this is what the latest reports on Global Web Browser Usage from StatCounter and Net Applications are saying. If the reports are to be believed, especially the one from StatCounter, Google Chrome has already over taken the usage share of Firefox. And Net Application places Firefox by 4% points, whichever reports you choose to follow or believe; Chrome seems to be taking the second spot right behind IE soon.

Chipmaker
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