Netscape Communications New Release

NETSCAPE COMMUNICATIONS UNVEILS NETSCAPE ISTORE

INTERNET APPLICATION AIMED AT INDIVIDUAL RETAILERS LETS USERS CREATE ELECTRONIC STOREFRONTS

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (March 27, 1995) -- Netscape Communications Corporation today announced Netscape IStore, an easy-to-use software application that enables individual merchants to create online stores on the Internet. Netscape IStore provides the integrated data management, online credit card authorization, billing and order processing capabilities required to build and manage a virtual storefront.

Netscape IStore is part of the company's newly announced Netscape Internet Applications family -- applications which work in concert with Netscape's open client/server software line to provide turnkey solutions for electronic commerce. Netscape IStore is the first of these applications aimed at the individual business owner. Netscape separately announced today three high-end Netscape Internet Applications for creating high-volume, large-scale online presences. These announcements dramatically broaden Netscape's open software solutions for conducting commerce and exchanging information on global networks.

"Netscape IStore enables individual retailers to easily set up shop on the Internet," said Marc Andreessen, vice president of technology at Netscape Communications. "By combining core business functions -- such as credit card processing, data management and billing -- with an easy-to-use interface for setting up and managing the system, Netscape IStore lets merchants open for online business today, taking advantage of the Internet's global reach to sell their goods and services."

Netscape IStore is based on industry-standard protocols and interfaces. The application is built on the Netscape Commerce Server, a powerful commercial server which integrates the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) open protocol to enable secure commerce to be conducted over global networks. SSL is application protocol-independent and provides encryption, which creates a secured channel to prevent others from tapping into the network; authentication, which uses certificates and digital signatures to verify the identity of parties in information exchanges and transactions; and message integrity, which ensures that messages cannot be altered en route. Netscape Commerce Server is designed for online transactions and electronic data exchange, enabling users to send sensitive documents securely over networks.

NETSCAPE ISTORE ALSO FEATURES:

An embedded relational database for easy information tracking and management
Electronic credit card processing, for real-time authorization
Relational storage and searching of product information
Straightforward billing and order processing
Pre-configured reports for easy information retrieval and analysis
Easy forms-based set-up and administration.

Netscape IStore is scheduled for availability for Windows NT and UNIX based platforms in the first half of 1995. Pricing starts at $20,000 and includes Netscape Commerce Server and a relational database.

Netscape Communications, the Netscape Communications logo, Netscape, Netscape Commerce Server, Netscape Communications Server, Netscape Proxy Server and Netscape News Server are trademarks of Netscape Communications Corporation. NCSA Mosaic is a trademark of the University of Illinois. All other product names are trademarks of their respective companies.