Many are expecting the world's most popular browser - Microsoft's Internet Explorer - to rapidly lose market share in the coming weeks following the Europe-wide roll-out of a Windows browser ballot, but it seems Mozilla isn't so certain.
The developer of rival browser Firefox has commissioned a survey of 2,000 British web users, and found that a massive 77 per cent are unaware that the browser ballot could soon be making its way to their screens.
The Microsoft ballot, created in collaboration with the European Commission, will become available next week as a response to anti-competitive complaints from third-party browser providers. The ballot - delivered via Windows Update and displayed to users who have Internet Explorer set as their default browser - will allow consumers the option to select a default browser of their choice, as opposed to being provided with Microsoft's Internet Explorer as standard.
Hoping to make European users aware of the ballot, Mozilla has launched a dedicated web page designed to encourage consumers to "learn more about choice".
The site, opentochoice.org, currently features an open letter from Mozilla CEO John Lilly who compares choosing a browser with choosing a meal or a book to read.
"It’s an important choice because the Web browser has become one of the most critical and trusted relationships of our modern lives – with nearly perfect knowledge of everything we do. It is the lens through which we look at the virtual world, and the medium by which we connect, learn, share, and collaborate. The browser you choose is responsible for providing you with the necessary tools to manage your online life, and to protect your privacy and security", says the letter.
"We believe that the Browser Choice screen is an important milestone towards helping more people take control of their online lives — and we hope for the conversation to become broader and deeper. We’ve set up opentochoice.org as one place for you to discuss what this choice means to you — and we hope that you’ll add your own voice to this conversation and those to come."
Mozilla will be hoping the browser ballot allows it to close the gap on Internet Explorer, which currently commands over 62 per cent of the browser market according to figures from NetMarketshare. Firefox, meanwhile, remains the second most popular choice with a market share of 24 per cent.
