Major internet companies are competing for dominance in the mobile internet browsing scene (Image: Skyfire Mobile Browser (CC) via Flickr)

Major internet companies Google, Yahoo!, Apple, Microsoft, Mozilla and Opera are competing for mobile internet supremacy.

Dominance in the mobile internet means having the ability to gather highly comprehensive user data and create ads that are highly personalized. According to Greg Sterling, an Opus Research analyst, “The browsers need to be present on the mobile device for survival.”

Internet use in mobile devices doubled this year. Now, 8.5 percent of all internet use comes from mobile devices. As such, companies are picking up the trend, with Google releasing Chrome for mobile devices to replace eventually the unnamed browser for Android devices.

Sterling adds, “Chrome is definitely the up-and-comer because of Android, and it has a lot of momentum on the PC.” Next to Chrome is Opera mobile browser, followed by Apple Safari, the iPhone browser.

Al Hilwa, from IDC, a research firm, says, “everybody wants to have that first point of contact with the user to control the experience from that point, capture certain data and direct them to services. It’s all about control, about who is further up on the stream of data.”

This competition for mobile online supremacy makes people wonder what Facebook will do, as it is currently receiving meager responses from its first IPO. Some are saying that the social networking site may move to tie up or obtain Opera, or even create its own web browser.

Furthermore, Hilwa adds that Amazon is also a force to reckon with as it has developed its own web browser for its products, primarily Kindle. Hilwa said, “they have content, they sell stuff, they have Web services. They have a lot of assets and have been successful. I would watch them.”

About Neal Alfie Lasta

I enjoy learning and writing about social media and the latest in mobile updates.