From: root <root@fountainhead.net>
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 04:28:22 +0800
To: cypherpunks@cyberpass.net (Cypherpunks)
Subject: Netscape 5 will be GPL'ed
Message-ID: <199801230129.BAA02808@fountainhead.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text



[Press Releases]
http://www.netscape.com/newsref/pr/newsrelease558.html?cp=nws01flh1

NETSCAPE ANNOUNCES PLANS TO MAKE NEXT-GENERATION COMMUNICATOR SOURCE CODE
AVAILABLE FREE ON THE NET

BOLD MOVE TO HARNESS CREATIVE POWER OF THOUSANDS OF INTERNET DEVELOPERS;
COMPANY MAKES NETSCAPE NAVIGATOR AND COMMUNICATOR 4.0 IMMEDIATELY FREE FOR
ALL USERS, SEEDING MARKET FOR ENTERPRISE AND NETCENTER BUSINESSES

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MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (January 22, 1998) -- Netscape Communications
Corporation (NASDAQ: NSCP) today announced bold plans to make the source
code for the next generation of its highly popular Netscape Communicator
client software available for free licensing on the Internet. The company
plans to post the source code beginning with the first Netscape Communicator
5.0 developer release, expected by the end of the first quarter of 1998.
This aggressive move will enable Netscape to harness the creative power of
thousands of programmers on the Internet by incorporating their best
enhancements into future versions of Netscape's software. This strategy is
designed to accelerate development and free distribution by Netscape of
future high-quality versions of Netscape Communicator to business customers
and individuals, further seeding the market for Netscape's enterprise
solutions and Netcenter business.

In addition, the company is making its currently available Netscape
Navigator and Communicator Standard Edition 4.0 software products
immediately free for all users. With this action, Netscape makes it easier
than ever for individuals at home, at school or at work to choose the
world's most popular Internet client software as their preferred interface
to the Internet.

"The time is right for us to take the bold action of making our client free
- and we are going even further by committing to post the source code for
free for Communicator 5.0," said Jim Barksdale, Netscape's president and
chief executive officer. "By giving away the source code for future
versions, we can ignite the creative energies of the entire Net community
and fuel unprecedented levels of innovation in the browser market. Our
customers can benefit from world-class technology advancements; the
development community gains access to a whole new market opportunity; and
Netscape's core businesses benefit from the proliferation of the
market-leading client software."

Netscape plans to make Netscape Communicator 5.0 source code available for
modification and redistribution beginning later this quarter with the first
developer release of the product. The company will handle free source
distribution with a license which allows source code modification and
redistribution and provides for free availability of source code versions,
building on the heritage of the GNU Public License (GPL), familiar to
developers on the Net. Netscape intends to create a special Web site service
where all interested parties can download the source code, post their
enhancements, take part in newsgroup discussions, and obtain and share
Communicator-related information with others in the Internet community.
Netscape will also continue to develop new technologies and offer periodic
certified, high-quality, supported releases of its Netscape Communicator and
Navigator products, incorporating some of the best features created by this
dynamic community.

The ubiquity of Netscape's client software facilitates Netscape's strategy
of linking millions of individuals to businesses. Today's announcements will
help to further proliferate Netscape's award-winning client software which
today has an installed base of more than 68 million, providing a ready
market for businesses using Netscape's Networked Enterprise software
solutions and Netscape Netcenter services. Netscape's research indicates
that in the education market where Netscape's products are free, the
Netscape client software commands approximately 90 percent share, indicating
that users tend to choose Netscape when the choice is freely available.
Making its browser software free also will enable Netscape to continue to
drive Internet standards, maximize the number of users on the Internet, and
expand the third-party community of companies and products that take
advantage of the Netscape software platform.

Netscape has successfully shifted its business over the past year toward
enterprise software sales and to revenues from its Web site business, and
away from standalone client revenues. In the third quarter of 1997,
standalone client revenues represented approximately 18 percent of
Netscape's revenue, with the rest coming from enterprise software, services
and the Web site. Preliminary results for the fourth quarter of 1997, which
Netscape announced January 5, show standalone client revenues decreased to
approximately 13 percent in the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter of
1996 by comparison, standalone client revenue represented approximately 45
percent of Netscape's revenue.

In conjunction with its free client, Netscape separately announced today
that it is launching a host of enhanced products and services that leverage
its free client software to make it easy for enterprise and individual
customers to adopt Netscape solutions. The new products and services
reinforce Netscape's strategy of leveraging market penetration of its
popular client software and its busy Internet site to seed further sales of
Netscape software solutions in the home and business markets. The new
products and services include enhanced subscription and support packages, an
investment protection program for Netscape Communicator users, new reduced
pricing on Netscape's retail and enterprise client products, new Premium
Services on its Netscape Netcenter online service and Netscape SuiteSpot
server software upgrades featuring Netscape client software.

In addition, the company separately announced the launch of an aggressive
new software distribution program called "Unlimited Distribution" to broadly
distribute its market-leading Internet client software for free. Unlimited
Distribution enables Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Internet
Service Providers (ISPs), telecommunications companies, Web content
providers, publishers and software developers to download and redistribute
Netscape Communicator and Netscape Navigator easily with "no strings
attached." In addition, beginning immediately, individual users can download
Netscape Communicator or Navigator for free, register for Netscape Netcenter
and, beginning tomorrow, enter the Choose Netscape Sweepstakes to win
exciting travel-related prizes including a grand prize of two all-inclusive,
seven-night tropical resort vacations.

Individuals can download a free copy of Netscape Communicator client
software or the Netscape Navigator browser from the Netscape home page at
http://home.netscape.com, or by clicking on any of the thousands of
"Netscape Now" buttons on the Internet. Netscape Communicator Professional
Edition, which adds features for enterprise customers, will be available for
US$29.

Netscape Communications Corporation is a premier provider of open software
for linking people and information over enterprise networks and the
Internet. The company offers a full line of Netscape Navigator clients,
servers, development tools and commercial applications to create a complete
platform for next-generation, live online applications. Traded on NASDAQ
under the symbol "NSCP," Netscape Communications Corporation is based in
Mountain View, California.

Additional information on Netscape Communications Corporation is available
on the Internet at http://home.netscape.com, by sending email to
info@netscape.com or by calling 650/937-2555 (corporate customers) or
650/937-3777 (individuals).

Netscape is a trademark of Netscape Communications Corporation, which is
registered in the United States and other jurisdictions. Netscape
Communications, the Netscape Communications logo, Netscape Navigator,
Netscape SuiteSpot, Netscape Composer, Netscape Messenger and Netscape
Communicator are trademarks of Netscape Communications Corporation.

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