Netscape

Netscape was an American internet software company best known for Netscape Navigator, one of the first widely adopted graphical web browsers. Established in 1994 as Mosaic Communications Corporation by Silicon Graphics executive Jim Clark and software engineer Marc Andreessen, the company commercialized ideas that had emerged from the NCSA Mosaic project while developing its own browser code. Its first product, Mosaic Netscape 0.9, appeared in October 1994 and was soon renamed Netscape Navigator. The browser combined a relatively accessible interface with rapid support for emerging web technologies, helping make the World Wide Web usable for a much broader audience. The company grew at extraordinary speed. Jim Barksdale became chief executive in 1995, and Netscape completed a highly publicized initial public offering on NASDAQ in August of that year. The offering became a symbol of the early internet economy and helped popularize the expression “Netscape moment” for a transformative technology-market event. Navigator achieved a dominant browser position during the mid-1990s, reportedly exceeding 90 percent market share before Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, distributed with Windows, became its principal competitor. Netscape expanded beyond a browser into an internet software portfolio. Netscape Communicator combined browsing, email and newsgroups, address-book functions, and HTML authoring. The company also sold enterprise products under the SuiteSpot name, including web, application, directory, messaging, collaboration, and certificate-server technologies. Other activities included e-commerce software and the Netcenter consumer web portal. Its technology legacy extended beyond branded products: Netscape employees were associated with the creation of JavaScript and HTTP cookies, while Netscape’s work on SSL contributed to the later development and standardization of TLS. Competition with Microsoft became the defining commercial struggle of the period. Netscape’s browser was initially sold commercially, while Internet Explorer was supplied free with Windows and integrated into Microsoft’s operating system strategy. Netscape also faced internal execution problems, including an increasingly complex product feature set, delays, and the difficulty of replacing its aging browser architecture. In 1998 it released browser source code and established the Mozilla Organization, beginning a long-term open-source effort that eventually led to the Mozilla Foundation and helped provide the technological lineage for Firefox. America Online announced an acquisition of Netscape in November 1998, and the transaction closed in March 1999. Although the deal’s value changed substantially with AOL’s share price, it was ultimately reported at approximately $10 billion. Netscape’s independent identity weakened after the acquisition. Its enterprise software activities were developed through the Sun-Netscape Alliance and later branded iPlanet; when that alliance ended, Sun retained the relevant intellectual property and engineering operations. AOL continued to release Netscape-branded browsers and to use the name for online services, but Netscape no longer operated as the independent company that had led the early browser market. The Netscape browser line continued through releases including Netscape 7.2 and Netscape Navigator 9, the latter based on Mozilla Firefox technology. AOL announced in December 2007 that it would end browser development and support, with a final security-oriented update released in February 2008. Time Warner had already formally disbanded Netscape as an organization in 2003. The Netscape name later remained associated with an AOL discount internet-service offering and a Chromium-based browser supplied by SentryBay, but these later uses did not restore the original company. Netscape is therefore remembered both as a defunct brand and as a foundational force in browser history, web commercialization, and open-source software…

Netscape originated in the commercialization of graphical web browsing during the first half of the 1990s. Jim Clark recruited Marc Andreessen after Andreessen had worked on NCSA Mosaic at the University of Illinois. The founders created Mosaic Communications Corporation in April 1994, backed by Kleiner Perkins. The company’s first browser, Mosaic Netscape 0.9, was released in October 1994. Following trademark concerns involving NCSA Mosaic, the company adopted the Netscape name and renamed the browser Netscape Navigator. Navigator rapidly became the most prominent browser for early internet users. Netscape’s success came from presenting the web as an accessible consumer medium while moving quickly to support images, scripting, email, HTML authoring, and other emerging capabilities. Jim Barksdale joined as chief executive in January 1995, and Netscape went public later that year. The IPO’s exceptional publicity and valuation made the company an emblem of the internet boom and encouraged investment throughout the emerging technology sector. Netscape broadened its business from a browser into a suite of consumer and enterprise software. Netscape Navigator versions were followed by Netscape Communicator, an integrated collection containing the browser, email and newsgroup software, an address book, and Composer, an HTML editor. SuiteSpot supplied server products for corporate intranets, public websites, messaging, directories, certificates, collaboration, and applications. Netscape also developed e-commerce products and operated the Netcenter portal. The company’s commercial position deteriorated during the browser wars. Microsoft distributed Internet Explorer with Windows and made it available without a separate browser purchase, giving it a distribution advantage that Netscape could not match. Netscape’s own software was criticized for feature growth, instability, and delays. Its browser architecture increasingly lagged behind newer web standards, while Microsoft improved Internet Explorer’s support for HTML, CSS, the document object model, and scripting technologies. In 1998 Netscape began a major open-source response. It released browser source code and formed the Mozilla Organization. The original codebase was ultimately replaced with a new architecture based on the Gecko rendering engine. AOL later reduced its direct involvement, while providing support that helped the Mozilla Foundation become independent in 2003. Gecko subsequently powered Mozilla Firefox, giving Netscape’s open-source initiative an enduring technological legacy. AOL announced its acquisition of Netscape in November 1998, and the transaction closed in March 1999. Netscape operated for a period within AOL, while enterprise products were developed with Sun through the Sun-Netscape Alliance and later the iPlanet brand. The alliance ended in 2002, with Sun retaining the engineering organization and intellectual property associated with those products. Netscape was formally disbanded by Time Warner in 2003, though AOL continued to release products carrying the name. Netscape 7.2 appeared in 2004, and the brand was also used for the Propeller social-news portal and a discount internet-service offering. Netscape Navigator 9, based on Firefox 2, was released in 2007. AOL announced the end of browser development in December 2007 and released version 9.0.0.6 in February 2008 with a security update and migration assistance. Later use of the Netscape name for an internet service and a separate Chromium-based browser represented brand licensing or continuation by AOL-related operations rather than a revival of Netscape Communications Corporation.

1. 2008Browser support ends

   AOL releases the final Netscape Navigator update and ends development and support.

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2. 2007Final major browser generation

   Netscape Navigator 9, based on Firefox technology, is released.

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3. 2003Netscape organization is disbanded

   Time Warner ends Netscape’s independent organizational structure and lays off most of its programmers.

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4. 1999AOL acquisition closes

   Netscape becomes part of America Online following the completion of the stock-based transaction.

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5. 1998Mozilla open-source initiative begins

   Netscape releases browser source code and establishes the Mozilla Organization.

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6. 1997Netscape Communicator launches

   The company expands its browser into an integrated internet communications and authoring suite.

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7. 1995Netscape goes public

   The company completes a high-profile NASDAQ initial public offering under the symbol NSCP.

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8. 1994Mosaic Communications Corporation is founded

   Jim Clark and Marc Andreessen establish the company that initially operated under the Mosaic Communications name.

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9. 1994First Netscape browser release

   Mosaic Netscape 0.9 is released and soon renamed Netscape Navigator.

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Mainstream web browsing, internet communications, and enterprise internet infrastructure software

• Netscape NavigatorWeb browser1994

  Netscape’s flagship browser line, initially released as Mosaic Netscape in 1994. Navigator became the leading graphical browser of the mid-1990s and introduced many users to the web. Later versions added support for scripting, mail, and increasingly sophisticated web standards, but the product lost share during the browser wars as Microsoft bundled Internet Explorer with Windows.

• Netscape CommunicatorInternet software suite1997

  A suite built around Netscape Navigator and expanded with Netscape Mail and Newsgroups, an address book, and Netscape Composer for HTML editing. Communicator represented Netscape’s attempt to make the browser the center of a broader internet communications and content-creation environment.

• SuiteSpotEnterprise server software

  A family of server products for enterprise websites, intranets, messaging, directories, certificates, collaboration, and applications. After Netscape’s acquisition by AOL, related enterprise software was developed with Sun under the iPlanet name, and Sun retained the associated intellectual property when the alliance ended.

• Netscape Navigator 9Web browser2007

  The final major Netscape browser generation, based on Mozilla Firefox 2. It used a distinctive green-and-gray interface and included features intended to help users migrate when AOL ended Netscape browser support.

• 2007End Netscape browser developmentOther

  Netscape’s browser market share had fallen to a small fraction of the market, while AOL no longer viewed continued development as commercially viable.

  What changed. AOL announced that it would stop developing and supporting Netscape browsers, later issuing a final update in February 2008.

  Aftermath. Netscape Navigator ceased to be an actively developed browser, ending the product line that had defined the brand.

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• 1998Release browser source code and create MozillaStrategy

  Netscape was losing ground to Internet Explorer and faced criticism of its aging, increasingly difficult-to-maintain browser codebase.

  What changed. The company published browser source code and created the Mozilla Organization to coordinate open-source development.

  Aftermath. Mozilla rewrote the browser around Gecko, and the later Mozilla Foundation and Firefox project preserved a significant part of Netscape’s technical legacy.

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• 1998Accept AOL acquisitionM&A

  Netscape’s browser position had weakened substantially as Microsoft used Windows distribution to expand Internet Explorer.

  What changed. Netscape agreed to be acquired by America Online in a tax-free stock transaction announced in November 1998 and completed in March 1999.

  Aftermath. Netscape lost its independent corporate identity, while AOL continued selected browser and service activities under the brand.

  Reported transaction value. Approximately US$10 billion at closing (1999)

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• 2007AOL ends Netscape browser development and support

  AOL announced that it would stop developing and supporting Netscape browsers, later issuing a final update in February 2008.

  Other
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• 2003Time Warner disbands Netscape

  Time Warner formally dismantled the Netscape organization and laid off most of its programmers, although the brand continued to be used for later releases and services.

  Leadership change
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• 1998Netscape releases browser source code and launches Mozilla

  The company published source code for its browser and created the Mozilla Organization to coordinate future development through an open-source model.

  Product launch
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• 1998AOL announces acquisition of Netscape

  America Online announced a stock-based acquisition that ended Netscape’s independent corporate existence after the transaction closed in 1999.

  M&A
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• 1995Netscape completes a landmark initial public offering

  Netscape’s NASDAQ offering became one of the most visible early internet IPOs and helped fuel investor enthusiasm for web businesses.

  Other
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1. Netscape