Netscape Delivers Netscape Enterprise Server 3.0 for Beta Testing

3.0 Version of Award-Winning Web Server Enables Powerful New Class of Network Applications for Intranet Publishing and Groupware

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (February 3, 1997) - Netscape Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: NSCP) today announced that a beta version of Netscape Enterprise Server 3.0 software will be available this week for downloading from the Netscape Internet site. Netscape Enterprise Server 3.0 is a major upgrade of Netscape's award-winning Web server for publishing dynamic content, finding information and deploying network applications on Intranets. The new product helps make it easy and affordable for corporations to integrate their legacy information systems into an Intranet to improve communication and collaboration between employees and customers, both inside and outside the organization.

Netscape Enterprise Server is the cornerstone server in Netscape SuiteSpot, an integrated suite of server software for open email, publishing and groupware. In its earlier versions, Netscape Enterprise Server has already become the most popular of the more than one million copies of server software Netscape delivered in 1996. The new Netscape Enterprise Server 3.0 integrates Netscape's next-generation Web server software with Netscape ONE open network environment technologies, including an integrated copy of the Visigenic Visibroker for Java and C++ Object Request Broker (ORB) and Netscape LiveWire development environment. In addition, the software comes bundled with Mortice Kern Systems Integrity Engine revision control software.

"Netscape Enterprise Server is powerful Web server software that enables organizations to easily publish and manage a complex array of documents and information for users inside and outside the company," said Eric Hahn, senior vice president of Netscape's Server Product Division. "The product provides a powerful platform for customers to deploy network applications that can enhance communication, streamline processed and reduce business expenses."

By supporting multiple platforms, databases and document types, Netscape Enterprise Server leverages customers' existing investments in hardware, software, databases, applications and document formats. Netscape Enterprise Server is built on open Internet standards that enable Web masters to create internal or external Web sites with easily accessible information and applications that scale from employees on an Intranet to partners and customers on the Internet. As a result, Netscape enjoys a commanding lead in the Web server software market -- 74 percent of the Web site managers surveyed on the Windows NT platform and 84 percent on UNIX are running Netscape Web server software, according to a recent report from Zona Research.

Netscape Enterprise Server includes many popular features such as:

• Advanced Web Publishing -- The server includes advanced features for publishing and managing static and dynamic content, such as: one-button publishing of information right from the desktop, Netscape Site Manager software, Mortice Kern Systems revision control software and fine-grained access controls to specify who can edit and view documents
• Information Management -- To help find information on a Web site, the software includes sophisticated searching capabilities that allow users to combine full text and attribute searches in searching the content store
• Seamless Support for Microsoft Office -- In addition to publishing documents in HTML, Netscape Enterprise Server leverages existing documents by automatically publishing content in a variety of formats, including Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Adobe PDF and many others
• Web Information Can Find You -- Users can be notified when relevant documents and information are created or modified on the Intranet through intelligent agents that run on the server and can email the user a link to a new document when it is modified
• Platform for Applications -- For developing network applications that combine static and dynamic content with database access and rich-text messaging, the product includes Netscape ONE technologies, including support for the Internet InterORB protocol (IIOP) and an integrated copy of the Visigenic Visibroker for Java and C++ ORB to enable ISVs to extend the server. Netscape LiveWire has also been seamlessly integrated into the server to provide native connectivity to Oracle, Sybase, Informix and ODBC-based databases
• Comprehensive Web Server Management -- A broad set of management tools help reduce the cost of managing and maintaining a Web site. The software supports Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) for centralized user and group management through LDAP directories. It also supports Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), versions 1 and 2, for standards-based remote monitoring capabilities from a variety of popular network management systems, including CA/Unicenter, HP OpenView, IBM/Tivoli TME and Sun Solstice
• Enterprise Performance and Scalability -- Netscape Enterprise Server's HTTP Web server engine is optimized to help meet the publishing and application deployment needs of sites as busy as the Netscape Web site where Netscape Enterprise Server software now supports over 120 million hits per day. This performance and reliability is achieved with such features as optimized caching, symmetric multiprocessor support, advanced use of kernel threads, and sophisticated memory management.

Netscape SuiteSpot 3.0 integrated family of server software includes ten server products for building corporate Intranets. Together with the new Netscape Communicator client software product, Netscape SuiteSpot 3.0 provides enterprise customers with an integrated client/server software solution for building and maintaining open email, publishing and groupware solutions on corporate Intranets.

Netscape Communications Corporation is a leading provider of open software for linking people and information over enterprise networks and the Internet. The company offers a full line of 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.

Netscape is a trademark of Netscape Communications Corporation which is registered in the United States and other jurisdictions. The Netscape Communications Corporation logo and Netscape product names are trademarks of Netscape Communications Corporation which may be registered in some jurisdictions. Additional information on Netscape Communications Corporation is available on the Internet at http://home.netscape.com, by sending email to moreinfo@netscape.com. Corporate customers can call 415-937-2555 while consumers can call 415-937-3777 for more information.