The Main Thing

Jim Barksdale Jim Barksdale
Member, Board of Directors
America Online
In The Main Thing, Jim Barksdale talks about Netscape's business and offers advice on how companies can succeed in a networked world. 		  As he said in his first column, "I've always believed that in business the main thing is to keep the main thing ... the main thing. Right now, from my point of view, the main thing is the fascinating, ever-changing medium called the Internet."
A Winning Company for the 21st Century - March 26, 1999
By acquiring Netscape, AOL took advantage of the opportunity to create a company with great staying power, great products, great people, and an even greater future than either company would have had alone. It is the transformational company, the winning company, in this category of products and services, for the 21st century.

New Business Models - October 16, 1998
Understanding how the burgeoning Net Economy is going to change your business model and everything you do every day is a critical part of making your company successful in the future. Leading companies are taking advantage of Internet technology to help them cut costs, expand their reach, and deliver new services.

Converging Opportunities - August 14, 1998
We've heard a lot lately about the convergence of different industries - telecommunications and cable, for example, or television and the Internet. Currently in the development of the Net Economy, we're seeing the convergence of the enterprise software business and the portal business.

IT Departments: Getting Down to Business - July 24, 1998
As they ramp up to participate in the Net Economy, IT departments have an unprecedented opportunity to make major contributions to the bottom line as they develop new applications and services. It's a whole new business role for IT. And it's a whole new way for technology to get down to business.

Winning in the Net Economy - June 4, 1998
Companies are using Internet technology in new ways to gain competitive advantage in the Net Economy. They're offering their core businesses as services over the Internet, becoming Enterprise Service Providers (ESPs).

Scaling Up for Global E-commerce - May 28, 1998
The trend toward worldwide e-commerce can sometimes lead to the kind of problem a CEO hopes for: how to scale up quickly for rapid growth. Companies need to find ways to streamline business processes, save time and money, and gain better communication with their partners.

Keeping the Customer Satisfied - April 29, 1998
Customer satisfaction is our number 1 priority for 1998. We're going to measure it, and we're going to tie compensation, bonuses, and employee recognition to it. Our goal is to take Netscape from having good customer satisfaction to having excellent customer satisfaction.

Software Development for the Greater Good - March 31, 1998
Opening up the source code is a marvelous way to rapidly advance the features and quality of Netscape Communicator for all customers. By unleashing the creative power of thousands of programmers on the Internet and incorporating their best enhancements into future versions of Communicator, we think we can fuel great new levels of innovation in the browser market.

Senate Judiciary Committee Testimony - March 3, 1998
In his testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Netscape President and CEO Jim Barksdale asks the government to enforce antitrust laws against Microsoft. This action is necessary, Barksdale argues, to preserve customer choice, increase software industry innovation, and keep the Internet open.

Business Introductions - January 28, 1998
Netcenter, our new business-focused online service, is an important part of Netscape's emphasis on the enterprise. Netcenter lets busy professionals easily find and personalize online business resources from one central location, and it gives our online business partners access to the millions of people who visit our web site daily. It's a win-win situation for everyone.

The Main Thing 1996 - The Main Thing 1997