Microsoft sites are the top global properties in the last month of 2006, according to a study performed by comScore Networks. While the overall worldwide Internet usage has increased over 10% in December 2006 compared to December 2005, Microsoft has taken the lion's share. The Redmond Company's web properties accounted for approximately 508 million unique visitors.

Google has managed nothing more than the second position in comScore Networks top. Although the Mountain View search giant is the indisputable leader of the worldwide search market, while Microsoft is struggling not to lose hold of the third place, Google sites have attracted only 494 million unique users.

"Google's popularity has been driven in part by its international appeal as well as the rapid uptake of some of Google's applications beyond traditional Web search," said Bob Ivins, managing director of comScore Europe. "Examples include the 40-percent year-over-year growth in visitors to Google Image Search, the 71-percent growth in visitors to Gmail, and the 62-percent growth in visitors to Google Maps."

Additionally, comScore Networks revealed that Yahoo sites, with 476 million unique visitors, have gotten the bronze for the third place. And while the first three places are separated by close results, the gap that separates Yahoo sites from the Time Warner Network, that came in forth is more than 200 million unique users.

Time Warner Network sites accounted for 260 million unique visitors and the occupant of the fifth place with 251 million unique visitors was eBay.