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Google Chrome – An Asian Trojan Horse?
October 06, 2008
On September 5 we reported on the launch of the Google web browser Chrome, and now just over a month later it's time for a quick update.
In a highly competitive market it seems the upper hand is being held by the two key incumbents' Mozilla's Firefox and Microsoft's Explorer.
Firefox 3 was released on June 17 to great fanfare and a successful attempt on the world record number of software downloads in a single day, with over 8 million downloads in a 24 hour period. (Source: Mozilla.org)
Since the release of Google Chrome in the four Asia Pacific markets that Hitwise measure each saw Google share of visits overtake Firefox for the day, but then slide substantially over the following week. This is reflective of the download being featured on the front page of Google for the week of launch.
The chart below reflects activity in the Australian market lead up to and since the launch of Firefox 3 on June 17/18 and the subsequent launch of Google Chrome. Charts for New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong are at the end of the article and each reflect the same pattern of a short peak versus Firefox's (Mozilla.org) ability to maintain a substantial share of visits. This may be muddied by the value of add-ons plus downloads of their email client Thunderbird.
Across the Asia Pacific region, New Zealand and Australia took to Google Chrome with greater urgency that in Hong Kong and Singapore. The chart below highlights the visits to Google Chrome for each of the four countries, highlighting the Australian and New Zealand strength of activity in the first few days and all markets decreasing to similar levels a week post launch.
Click on image for larger version.
As highlighted in the first blog, the other recipient of visits from the launch of Google Chrome was the Google Software Downloads page (www.google.com/downloads). Google Software Downloads benefited across all markets, but while the Australia and New Zealand markets fell to pre Chrome launch share levels the Hong Kong and Singapore markets have sustained strong visitation share.
The overall benefit to Google is increase use and discovery of their range of products in markets where they do not have the same dominance we see in Australia and New Zealand. Is Google Chrome an Asian Trojan Horse?
Click on image for larger version.
Google Chrome is an important plank in extending the brand in the less dominant markets as well as potentially being a key plank in the fight for the control of the desktop, but Mozilla's Firefox and Microsoft's Explorer have well entrenched brands and reputations.
Now that the initial excitement of Google Chrome has passed, the marketing of and the development of the product (third party add-ons etc) becomes a real challenge for Google. It will be interesting to watch it unfold.
As always stay up to date by following us on Twitter.
Posted by Alan Long at 03:40 PM
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Hi,
The release of Google Chrome in the four Asia Pacific markets that Hit wise measure each saw Google share of visits overtake Firefox for the day. I think it is in favor of Google.
Posted by Web Development Dubai | April 21, 2009 06:40 PM