Firefox increases market share

New numbers for December show that Internet Explorer's market share continues to fall.

According to NET Applications, Internet Explorer had just over 68.15 percent of the browser market in December. Last December, Internet Explorer had 76.04 percent of the market. In December 2006, it had 79.92 percent.

As for Firefox, its market share continues to increase, reaching 21.34 percent in December, up from 16.8 percent a year ago. Safari also continues to post gains.

Microsoft is expected to release the next version of Internet Explorer, IE 8, some time this year. Although Microsoft once said IE 8 would be out by the end of 2008, the company nevertheless insists it is not delayed.

When I talked to Matthew Lapsen, who leads the product management of Internet Explorer, in late November, he acted unconcerned with IE 8's falling share, saying there was "flux."

"Everyone is going to look at shiny new objects," he said then. "We focus on what are core unmet needs."

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