Netscape GPLed Communicator
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Čtvrtek Leden 22 20:02:57 CET 1998
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Subject: Netscape GPLed Communicator
Date: Thu, 22 Jan 1998 10:30:15 -0800 (PST)
From: atai na ece.ucsd.edu (Andy Tai)
To: fsu-general na fslu.org
Hi, Netscape just announced Communicator will be GPLed.
A major victory for Free Software!
The major revolution in software has begun! RMS's dream is becoming
true!
A society using free software in general!
--
Li-Cheng Tai (Andy Tai) e-mail: atai na ece.ucsd.edu
Free software: the software by the people, of the people and for the
people,
worldwide. Develop! Share! Enhance! And enjoy!
Thursday January 22, 11:00 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Netscape Communications Corporation
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
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Jan. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Netscape
Communications Corporation (Nasdaq: NSCP - news) 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 that 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 of the market,
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 na 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.
SOURCE: Netscape Communications Corporation
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