Google's Chrome Browser Still Needs to Crack the Business Market

According to data from StatCounter, Google's Chrome browser has about 30 percent market share at this point, and it may be on track to challenge Internet Explorer's share, which has been dwindling for years. A close look at market share data for the leading browsers, though, shows that Chrome's usage is highest on weekends, and its share numbers tend to drop during the week, suggesting that users favor it at home, but may favor Internet Explorer when at work. That's a challenge Google needs to overcome.

The Wall Street Journal recently analyzed several months worth of StatCounter browser market share data, and reported:

"Chrome peaks on the weekends and dips on the weekdays, while the opposite happens with IE. This suggests people are more likely using IE on their work computers and Chrome on their home PCs."

StatCounter officials even noted that on a recent Sunday, global page views were actually higher for Chrome than they were for Internet Explorer. That's a remarkable achievement for an open source browser that debuted as recently as 2008. 

So why would users favor one browser at home and another at work? Quite simply, some businesses and organizations still require Internet Explorer, and some IT departments won't even permit users to have open source browsers. In addition to hard and fast rules, there is also substantial gray area surrounding how users become tied to Internet Explorer.

For example, even if an IT department hasn't mandated using Internet Explorer, company-specific tools, such as intranets, can often depend on it. In organizations that rely on Microsoft's platforms, such as SharePoint, users may have trouble performing common workday tasks unless they have Internet Explorer.

Google, of course, has its sights set on becoming more of a player in enterprise computing. As it pursues that goal, getting the Chrome browser more entrenched in businesses should be a key part of the company's strategy.