SAN FRANCISCO: Google Inc's Chrome internet
browser overtook Firefox for the first time globally in November and it
continues to narrow the gap to market leader Microsoft Corp's Internet Explorer,
web analytics firm StatCounter said.
"We can look forward to a fascinating battle
between Microsoft and Google as the pace of growth of Chrome suggests that it
will become a real rival to Internet Explorer globally," Aodhan Cullen,
StatCounter chief executive, said in a statement.
Chrome took 25.69% of the worldwide market, up
from 4.66% in November 2009. Firefox trailed at 25.23%. Internet Explorer
maintained its top spot, holding 40.63% of the global browser market.
In the U.S., Explorer's market share grew by
0.42 percentage points from a year earlier, to 50.66% in November. Firefox
retained second place with 20.09%, down 6.66 percentage points from last
November. Chrome grew 6.41 percentage points to 17.3%, while Safari edged up
0.05 percentage points to 10.76%.