Google's Chrome Web browser challenging Firefox

Google's Chrome Web browser is gaining ground on Firefox, and according to one industry tracker may even have eclipsed its open-source rival in the global market. Chrome was the world's second favorite Web browsing program in November, bumping Firefox from that position for the first month ever, according to StatCounter Global Stats. Google's Chrome had a 25.69 percent share of online browsing last month compared to 25.23 percent for Firefox, according to StatCounter. Firefox is managed by the nonprofit Mozilla Foundation. Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) remained the dominant Web browser with 40.63 percent of the global market, the findings indicated. "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," said StatCounter chief executive Aodhan Cullen. However, Internet metrics firm Net Applications on Friday reported that Firefox still clung to second place in the browser market although Chrome has steadily narrowed the gap through the year and was closing in. Firefox was losing ground in the United States but held onto second place here with 20.09 percent of the market compared to Chrome's 10.89 percent, according to StatCounter. IE reportedly handled 50.66 percent of US Internet browsing.