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Navigator Increases Lead in Enterprise Use

Zona Research Inc. (Redwood City, Calif., www.zonaresearch.com) today released its latest browser study indicating that Netscape Communications Corp.'s Navigator increased its position over Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer as the primary browser in use in the enterprise.

The study based on 113 enterprises, reveals that 60 percent of the respondents are using Navigator as their primary browser, with 40 percent using Internet Explorer. Zona reports that for the first time since the study's inception in 1996, no respondent indicated a third-party browser for primary use. Compared with a previous study in July, Netscape has increased its lead by six percentage points.

"Corporate browser policies continue to greatly impact browser usage within the enterprise, and we see from this study that 84 percent of IE in use as the primary browser is policy driven," remarks Clay Ryder, vice president and chief analyst of Zona Research. "We believe this significant increase is largely due to the fact that IE 4.0 is an integral part of Windows 98, that Microsoft has continued to make inroads in the corporate marketplace, and numerous distribution agreements with service providers and other software vendors."

Previous Zona studies show that Navigator's use peaked in April 1996, when it took an 87 percent share. The October study revealed that the 4.0 versions of both browsers were the primary versions in use. --Brian Ploskina, Assistant Editor

About the Author

Scott Bekker is editor in chief of Redmond Channel Partner magazine.

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