The IT commission was assembled to present Gilmore with "Investing in the Future: Toward a 21st Century Information Technology Workforce, " a report that examines the ability of the state's IT industry to acquire and develop trained workers.

CNN: Va. Gov. Gilmore announces technology internship program

Even so, reckons Mr Milunovich, firms have now entered a phase of assimilation, with the emphasis on making tangible returns on their technology investments, past and present.

ECONOMIST: Spending on information technology

Still, Firefox's advances have already had their intended effect: to present web surfers with a viable alternative to the monopoly, and thus to restart much-need innovation in browser technology, even by Microsoft itself.

ECONOMIST: Face value