It is official: Internet Explorer 9 poll shows Asian men like it fast, while women like it safe

New IE9 survey reveals fresh insights on Web surfing habits in Asia

Asians more likely to take risks online compared to their European counterparts Adult sites and online banking are top 2 browsing activities users want to hide from others Majority of Asians want to watch online movies in high definition - speed is imperative to pave way for future content

SINGAPORE 14 Mar 2011 When it comes to browsing the Internet, women in Asia tend to put safety first (78 per cent), while their male counterparts choose speed above all else (83 per cent). In contrast, European Internet users, both male and female, ranked safety as their biggest concern with 69 per cent saying online safety is a priority over speed. These were some of the findings in an IE9 poll conducted to mark the global launch of Microsofts latest browser, Internet Explorer 9 (IE9).

The IE9 poll was conducted across Asia Pacific and Europe, with more than 20,000 respondents participating across 11 Asian and 20 European markets. It sought to understand users preferences when it comes to surfing the Web. Speed (82 per cent), security (78 per cent) and ease of use (66 per cent) were the top priorities among respondents in the Asia region. Respondents in Malaysia (91 per cent), Singapore (92 per cent) and the Philippines (94 per cent) were particularly drawn to speed.

With close to half the worlds Internet users coming from the Asia Pacific region, we took into account their priorities for a great browsing experience, said Haresh Khoobchandani, Chief Marketing Officer, Consumer & Online, Asia Pacific, Microsoft. More than 40 million users have downloaded the beta version of Internet Explorer 9 and they are excited about the faster, safer and cleaner browsing experience that we have built. IE9s technically superior platform has enabled collaboration with more than 250 partners globally, resulting in a more beautiful web experience for our users.

Speed is key priority for Internet surfers When it comes to speed, the most common complaint was that videos take too long to load, with music and games being other bandwidth-chokers. Not surprisingly, this is the content that

appeals most to users, with 69 per cent of those surveyed said they would like to be able to watch movies in high definition online in the future.

Speed is a key proposition for IE9. Todays websites and browsers only use about 10 per cent of the processing power that the PC has to offer. IE9 uses hardware acceleration through Windows to harness the full potential of the PC, making websites and the online experience much faster. In fact, IE9 is 11 times faster than its predecessor, IE8. An online martial arts game (www.masterofthewebgame.com) has been specially designed by Asian firm, The Upper Storey, allowing users to experience first-hand the remarkable speed and performance of IE9.

Developing Master of the Web on Internet Explorer 9 was an absolute joy mainly because of the newly introduced canvas element in HTML 5 that allows the browser to render graphics and images on the fly. IE9s hardware acceleration feature is definitely the best thing because it pushes the canvas element to perform at an all new level which no other browser could achieve. With this, the speed increase and beautiful graphics are nothing to scoff at. Chandra Barathi, Technical Director, The Upper Storey

IE9 survey highlights dangerous online habits that threaten security Despite rating security highly in their list of important Internet features, it appears that many Asians dont apply the necessary precautions when browsing. Only a little more than half (57 per cent) of all respondents said they would refrain from downloading online content when they are uncertain about their safety or legitimacy. More than one-third of users admitted to be willing to take the risk if the questionable content is something they really want, while nearly a tenth of users claimed to not worry at all when downloading anything from the Web. Respondents from China were the most likely to download unsafe content with 44 per cent open to taking a chance on questionable content. Once again, European users were much more cautious 68 per cent of those surveyed said they would avoid downloading any potentially unsafe content from the Internet.

Asians most guarded about online banking When it comes to online privacy, a majority of respondents in Asia were most concerned with hiding details of their visits to banking websites (65 per cent), followed by visits to adult websites (61 per cent). In some markets such as New Zealand, the difference was particularly pronounced, with 88 per cent more concerned about hiding their online banking history and 53 per cent concerned about covering their visits to adult sites. Other online activities that Asians prefer to keep close to their chest include visits to dating/relationship sites (42 per cent) and support groups or forums (32 per cent).

Top five tips from IE9 Based on the IE9 survey findings, Microsoft highlights five key tips when using IE9: 1. Keep your browser current, download IE9 now at: www.beautyofthewebasia.com.

Your Internet browser is the first line of defense against all online attacks. Research
data from NSS Labs shows that IE9 blocks 99 per cent of all socially generated malware attacks much higher than any other browser. 2. Browse on the fast lane: IE9 is designed to ensure that the browser starts fast and stays fast over time. Add-ons Advisor identifies programs that may be slowing down the browser and gives you the information you need to disable or fix it, directly from the Notification Bar itself. 3. Stay safe: The SmartScreen Filter in IE9 protects your computer better by warning you when you attempt to view sites or download files that are potentially unsafe. IE9 also introduces the new SmartScreen Download Reputation filter that uses a websites reputation data to remove unnecessary warnings for well-known files, and show more severe warnings when the download is a higher risk of being malicious. 4. Dont leave an online trail behind: With the new Tracking Protection feature, IE9 provides you with an added level of control and choice about the information that you reveal about your online activities. 5. Make your online browsing a breeze: IE9 comes packed with nifty shortcuts that take you to your online destination faster. For example, the Pinned Sites feature allows you to pin the websites you access most often directly to the taskbar on your desktop. You can now get there with just one click!

- Ends About Microsoft Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential. * The Internet Explorer 9 survey was conducted via MSN in: 11 Asia markets with a total of 9,683 respondents, including: Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam 20 EMEA markets with a total of 11,551 respondents, including: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Spain and Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and The United Kingdom. Note to editors For further information or interviews with Microsoft spokespeople, please contact:

Lena Goh Phone: +65 6888 7093 E-mail: lena.goh@microsoft.com Ashwin Seshadri, Weber Shandwick Phone: +65 6825 8021 E-mail: aseshadri@webershandwick.com