Escondido, CA (PRWEB) November 3, 2005
According to a new study published by Byte Level Research, less than 30% of the world's Internet users are native-English speakers. By 2010, that number will drop to less than 25% as such emerging markets as China, Russia, and Brazil drive millions of non-English-speaking people to the Internet.
“This data makes clear that the next Internet revolution will not be in English,” said John Yunker, president of Byte Level Research. "While English isn't becoming any less important on the Internet, other languages, such as Chinese, Russian, Spanish, and Portuguese, are becoming comparatively more important. Web globalization will become increasingly vital to succeeding in this emerging global marketplace."
Of the roughly one billion people who now have Internet access, English is spoken by 300 million, followed by 128 million Chinese speakers and 80 million Japanese speakers. Looking ahead, Chinese speakers online will grow at the fastest pace, doubling over the next five years.
The Internet Language Index tracks 30 languages across 75 countries and is a new regular feature of the monthly Web globalization publication Global By Design. Members of the media may receive a full copy of the index and methodology; please contact Annie Blaise at +1 (760) 317-2001.
About Global By Design
Global By Design is a paid monthly newsletter devoted to best practices and innovations in business and content globalization. Subscribers to Global By Design include FedEx, Panasonic, Dow Corning, Lionbridge, SDL, Neteller, and many more. For more information, please visit http://www.globalbydesign.com
About Byte Level Research
Byte Level Research, founded in 2000, is the world’s leading authority on Web and content globalization. Serving many of the world’s leading multinationals and their vendors, Byte Level has pioneered a number of Web globalization best practices. John Yunker, president chief analyst of Byte Level Research, is author of Beyond Borders: Web Globalization Strategies.
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