When your company looks to perform a mainframe update, it can make the process easier through a web based terminal emulator that draws on existing internet browsers. But which browser is best for you? That can change, and right now the previously popular and established Mozilla Firefox is losing steam.
At least, that's the impression one gets from new data mentioned by Computerworld. In an article on this subject, that source reports that it has been steadily losing users for the past eight months, as it gets ominously closer to the end of its current contract with Google this coming November.
Specifically, Firefox's user base accounts for less than 13 percent of all desktop and mobile activity, the source notes. The latter appears to be a particular stumbling block for Mozilla, since more than 17 percent of web users in the past month used a mobile browser.
However, TechRepublic's Jack Wallen doesn't see an apocalyptic end to Firefox necessarily. Instead, he points out that the dominance of Google Chrome will always be met with some other challenger.
"You can't forget that Firefox is an open-source browser," he writes. "That means, even if Firefox were to die, another batch of forks would appear. So, even if Google Chrome were to knock Firefox out of the ring, more contenders will appear to take up the gloves."
The important thing is that, whichever software your employees gravitate toward, they pick a browser emulator that fits them and their access strategy. If your company is looking at a large amount of mobile access, then Firefox might not be the best current option.