Microsoft releases faster Explorer fits into Web applications-Bloomberg

Logo Microsoft Corp. Internet Explorer 9 is displayed on a computer screen in Washington, D.C. photographer: Andrew Harrer/  Bloomberg Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft Corp. photographer: Aaron m. Sprecher/Bloomberg

Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) released a faster version of its Internet Explorer browser, which adds privacy controls and video features, an attempt to regain market share lost to Firefox and Google Inc. (GOOG) 's Chrome.

Internet Explorer 9 is dependent on HTML5, the latest version of the language that presents Web content, which lets Web sites handle more multimedia content. The browser designed to run applications within the browser more quickly at the same time, add more powerful protection settings than Google offers. It said can be downloaded today, the company Redmond, Washington-based.

Microsoft is trying to respond to increasing requirements for software that runs online rather than on the Windows operating system. Microsoft's latest browser sluggish performance made it more difficult to use Internet apps and pressure customers against rival products, said David Smith, an analyst in Stamford, Connecticut-based Gartner Inc.

"The vast, overwhelming majority of new apps that are developed today is designed to run in browsers--they are not original Windows applications," said Smith. "Every creditor has to have a very competitive offer."

While Internet Explorer is still the leading browser, its dominance has ebbed in the last two years. It had 57 percent share in February, down from 62% a year earlier, according to NET applications, which tracks Internet usage statistics. Mozilla's Firefox had 22 percent, and Google Chrome had 11 percent. Apple Inc. (AAPL) Safari's fourth ranked, with 6.4 per cent.

Microsoft rose 1 cent to $ 25.69 yesterday on the Nasdaq Stock Market. The shares have fallen 8 percent this year.

By supporting the HTML5 technology play video, is a fresh blow to the browser, Adobe Systems Inc. (ADBE) 's Flash--the most popular software to see the clips on the Web. Apple has limited the use of Flash on its iPhone and iPad, endorse HTML5 instead after CEO Steve Jobs said Flash was too slow to run on mobile devices.

The new personal features, in the meantime, put pressure on Google to respond, Smith said. Microsoft has added the ability for users to create "do not call"-style lists, bar listed Web sites from tracking of users do on the Internet.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has required-not-track settings in browsers, said Smith. Firefox has also developed such a function.

Contact the reporter on this story: Dina bass in Seattle by dbass2@bloomberg.net

Contact the person responsible for this story editor: Tom Giles on tgiles5@bloomberg.net

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