PHILADELPHIA, PA -- (Marketwire) -- 11/20/12 -- For technology enthusiasts and online innovators like Rich Gorman, Mozilla has just offered one more reason to be thankful this holiday season: the launch of Firefox 17, a groundbreaking new incarnation of the popular Web browser that offers unprecedented social media integration. Already a hit among technology connoisseurs, the new version of Firefox has won advance praise from many Internet professionals; Gorman has weighed in with a press statement of his own, celebrating Firefox 17 as a breakthrough in social media integration.

"Whatever your online browser of choice, there is no denying the huge strides forward that Mozilla has made with its latest Firefox -- which more than solidifies this as a brand of choice among the technologically savvy," enthuses Gorman, a long-time online entrepreneur and a leading commentator on online trends. "What sets this browser apart is the unparalleled integration of browser technology and social media, which, for online marketers who depend on around-the-clock social media updates, is utterly invaluable."

The most significant feature of the new Firefox is its Social API. Mozilla engineered the Social API to provide windows of opportunity for social media developers, and boundless options for the browser's users. Effectively, the Social API provides a space for social networks, including Facebook and Twitter, to place their own, persistent toolbars. In other words, users who are addicted to their Twitter feed can have Twitter accessible at all times, to name just one example. Even when the Web browser is on another site.

Firefox has designed the Social API to offer maximum flexibility and plentiful options for users, which means that it offers integration in the form of toolbars, sidebars, chat windows, and more. Firefox 17 accommodates not only Facebook and Twitter, but also blog sites and even news services.

The flexibility offered by the new Firefox is exactly what makes it so appealing, Gorman says. "A lot of tech companies are trying to do things like Facebook integration, or Twitter integration, but what is really significant about Firefox 17 is that there is nothing Facebook-specific about it," he remarks. Though the beta testing versions of the new browser were loaded with Facebook Messenger, users can ultimately pick and choose the social services that they care about. "This is the next step in the evolution of the browser," says Gorman. "It allows users to engage in social media conveniently and effectively, and however they see fit."

While the flexibility of Firefox 17 is a boon to consumers, Gorman says that this new phase in Firefox' development ultimately has major ramifications for marketers, as well. "Social media is becoming even more prevalent and even more thoroughly integrated into our daily activity," he observes. "It really is that simple. As Firefox 17 grows in stature and becomes the browser of choice among more and more individuals, marketers can take that as a cue that social media is growing in import and in influence -- which means, of course, that social marketing has never been more important."

Mozilla designed the new Firefox to keep up with user trends. While non-social websites tend to be closed when users finish reading them, those same users typically return to their favorite social media sites again and again. The new Firefox eliminates the need to scroll back and forth, or to open several browser tabs, by making social media sites persistent fixtures.

"This is the future of social media use," says Gorman. "It is becoming a constant presence in our lives -- not something you scroll to every now and again, but something that is just always there."

Online innovator Rich Gorman can be reached on the Web through Google+.

ABOUT:

Rich Gorman is an online entrepreneur and a true pioneer in the direct response marketing industry; additionally, he is a technology zealot with a consistent track record of predicting the latest and greatest advances in marketing technology and in social networking. His brand, Direct Response, is one of the foremost names in the digital marketing world, and, through his Direct Response blog, Gorman writes prolifically about the trends shaping the field. At the Direct Response blog, Gorman gives away millions of dollars in trade secrets, motivated by his passion for bringing value to other business and brands, and his passion for seeing others succeed.