Microsoft lauds uptick in Internet Explorer market share

Worldwide use of Internet Explorer (IE) increased in April at the expense of its rivals in the web browser market, according to the latest statistics from Net Applications.

The Microsoft browser showed a slight increase in users, with its share of the market rising from 53.8 per cent in March to 54.1 per cent in April.

This came against a decrease for Firefox from 20.55 to 20.20 per cent over the two months while Chrome fell from 18.57 to 18.85 per cent, although this is still up strongly on its 13.9 per cent market share from June 2011.

Usage of Apple's Safari has changed frequently during the year, but remained under six per cent and currently occupies 4.8 per cent of the market.

The increase in use of Microsoft's browser is the latest gain in the last few months for the firm, according to the data from Net Application, and comes after a long-period of decline in use of the browser.

Microsoft also touted the success of IE9 on its own Windows 7 platform, with the firm's IE product marketing director, Roger Capriotti revealing in a blog post it is now used by 35.5 per cent of all users of the operating system.

This places it ahead of Chrome on 21 per cent and Firefox on 15.3 per cent.

"I'm pleased to note that we continue to see IE9 growth on Windows 7 continuing," Capriotti said.

The firm has been pushing IE9 take-up with the sale of Windows 7, while it has begun promoting IE10 as it gets ready to ship Windows 8.

Recently, Microsoft celebrated the decline in use of IE6 as it looks to move users off the old browser due to numerous security concerns.