Microsoft launch Internet Explorer 9 web browser

By Maggie Shiels Technology reporter, BBC News, Silicon Valley

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Microsoft's Leila Martine shows Rory Cellan-Jones the 'high graphic capabilities' of IE9

Microsoft has launched its latest bid to be computer users' default window on to the web.

The software giant has released the latest version of its popular web browser, Internet Explorer 9 (IE9), which it will help revive its fortunes in an increasingly competitive market.
Since 2003 the company has seen a 97% lead dwindle to 60% today.
It will compete with new versions of other popular browsers such as Mozilla's Firefox and Google's Chrome.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

For once, Microsoft's rivals may need to take some notice of what the once-sleepy giant of the browser business has been up to”

End Quote Rory Cellan-Jones Technology correspondent, BBC News

• Read Rory's thoughts in full

Google Chrome now commands more than 7.5% of the market despite only being released in December 2008.

Mozilla, which has recently launched a test version of Firefox 4, has nearly a quarter of the market and in some countries is the dominant web browser.
Many browsers received a boost when the European Commission forced Microsoft to offer users of its Windows operating system a choice of browser, rather than internet Explorer as a default.
IE9 will initially be released as a beta, or test, product.
Ina Fried, who covers Microsoft for technology site CNet, said the new software brought Microsoft "back in serious browser contention".
"Internet Explorer still dominates in market share but they have been losing out for years to Firefox and more recently Chrome mainly because of where they were on the technology front," she told BBC News.
"This release gets them back in the game technologically and really takes advantage of Windows.
"The question now that they have a better browser technologically, is will they gain back some of that market share."