03 Jun 2010

IE6 decline 'could be good for IT development'

The decline of Internet Explorer 6 (IE6) could be having a positive impact on the development of new IT infrastructure for firms, it has been argued.

Jason Falls, a social media consultant and blogger on socialmediaexplorer.com, said as more companies move away from this browser, concerted efforts are being made to diversify the browser sector and this can lead to innovation and pushing the industry forward.

He commented: "Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and even Facebook can push for different web standards from browser makers ... or they can innovate on their own if their efforts compelling enough (ie Google Chrome)."

According to figures published by StatCounter, IE6 now has a browser share of less than five per cent - 4.7 per cent - down from 11.5 per cent 12 months ago.

It found that the most pressing reason for this decline was the fact that the software had major security implications and also required developers to recode their sites to get them to work.