Netscape GPLed Communicator

Petr Snajdr snajdr na pvt.net
Čtvrtek Leden 22 20:02:57 CET 1998


Dobry den,
   dostal jsem zajimavy dopis :-))))

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


Další informace o konferenci Linux