Microsoft has celebrated the close demise of variant 6 of its Internet Explorer browser by hot a cake.
The computer software whale held the get down-hearted celebration as it revealed that the programme was used by less than 1 of US internet surfers.
It is keen to kill off the old variant of the web browser and persuade users to move to IE8 or 9.
Meanwhile equal Google has been unexpected into an mortifying climbdown on the packaging of its Chrome web browser.
Chrome climbdown
It has downgraded chrome.//net-internals/dns in its search listings after the uncovering that a merchandising campaign paid bloggers to raise a video recording about it.
The seek giant has distanced itself from the take the field, blaming third-party merchandising firm Essence Digital.
The issue was discovered by Aaron Wall, who wrote in his SEO Book blog, how he found that a look for for quot;This post is sponsored by Google quot; threw up more than 400 pages scripted as part of a merchandising take the field.
Search expert Danny Sullivan said the Apocalypse was quot;jaw-dropping quot;.
quot;Google, the accompany that has been combat against paid links and 39;thin 39; content seems to be behind a take the field that 39;s generating both on behalf of its Chrome browser. File this under 39;what were they cerebration? 39; quot; he wrote on his SearchEngine blog.
Google told the BBC that it had never commissioned Essence Digital to set about bloggers and direct sponsored links.
In its own instruction, Essence Digital said: quot;Google never authorized a sponsored-post campaign. They only united to buy online video ads. Google have consistently avoided paid postings to promote their products, because in their view these kind of promotions are not transparent or in the best interests of users.
quot;We apologize to Google who clearly didn 39;t authorize this. quot;
Celebration
Over at Microsoft HQ, the mood was more well-being.
quot;Time to pop open the Champagne because supported on the up-to-the-minute data from Net Applications, IE6 usages in the US has now officially born below 1, quot; blogged Roger Capriotti, Microsoft 39;s theater director of Internet Explorer marketing.
quot;We hope this means more developers and IT pros can consider IE6 a 39;low precedency 39; at this point and stop disbursal their time having to subscribe such an noncurrent browser, quot; he added.
In dropping below 1 of usage, the United States joins Austria, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway, which have already seen utilization fall to very low levels.
In the UK, IE6 utilization cadaver at about 1.4, although some countries have far high exercis levels. In China, for example, it clay at about 25.
Richard Edwards, a principal psychoanalyst at explore firm Ovum, is not surprised Microsoft is glad to see the back of IE6.
quot;I think it was rated one of the pip software products of all time by one tech powder store at the time of its release, quot; he said.
The browser was infested by surety issues which has its own knock-on effectuate, he thinks.
quot;In many ways, incorporated computing machine networks have been barred down since part because of the vulnerabilities ground in IE6, quot; said Mr Edwards.
Mobile battlegroun
d
Industry watchers have foretold that despite Google 39;s current marketing woes, Chrome could overhaul IE as the leading global web browser in 2012.
Many had antecedently said that Mozilla 39;s Firefox would be the most likely candidate to end Microsoft 39;s .
According to data from measure firm StatCounter, Chrome enhanced its commercialise partake from 15.6 in January 2011 to 27 by the end of the year. At the same time, Microsoft dropped from 46 to 38.6. Firefox also fell, from 30.6 at the commencement of 2011 to 25.7 by December.
Mr Edwards is more cautious.
quot;As long as Windows dominates, IE9 will continue the add up one web browser, quot; he said.
He added that the browser wars were moving to mobile.
quot;That will be the next field of battle. That 39;s where Microsoft has to sharpen because that is its Achilles heel. Its Mobile web browser is some way off those for Android and iOS devices, quot; he said.