IT contractors may be called upon to update company websites as Internet Explorer 6 (IE6) fades into the past, it is claimed.

According to research from StatCounter, IE6 now has a browser share of just 4.7 per cent across the US and Europe, when this figure was as high as 11.5 per cent a year ago.

Reacting to this news, consultant and blogger at socialmediaexplorer.com Jason Falls claims that firms are now safe to make their websites more high-tech.

In order to reach the highest number of customers, websites must be viewable on as many browsers as possible, Mr Falls explains.

However, IE6 is now so out-dated and slow that it cannot handle many of the new advanced graphics and embedded video content firms want to use.

He concluded: "Strong web companies like Google, Microsoft, Yahoo! and even Facebook can push for different web standards from browser makers.

"But in the end, the websites can only produce what the browsers will handle."