MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (September 9, 1997) -- Netscape Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: NSCP) today announced the Netscape Education Everywhere program, an expansion of the company's free educational software licensing program for non-profit educational institutions designed to bring Internet and Intranet technology to schools around the world. The Netscape Education Everywhere program will allow any school or educational institution to make Netscape client and server software available for free electronic download by students or educators by simply filling out and submitting a Netscape licensing agreement. This software licensing program for educational institutions is part of Netscape's recently announced 'Netscape Everywhere' initiative, aimed at bringing Netscape technology to millions of new users in schools, homes and businesses.
Since the inception of the company in April 1994, Netscape estimates that it has donated more than $500 million in software to bring Internet and Intranet technology to schools throughout the world. According to research conducted by International Data Corporation (IDC), Netscape's total U.S. market share in the education sector is estimated to be at over 80 percent. "Netscape's roots were born out of education and we are committed to making our software products freely available to schools all across the world," said Mike Homer, executive vice president of worldwide sales and marketing at Netscape. "Our products are making a profound difference in enhancing students' learning, and this new initiative aims to make it simple for schools everywhere to obtain our software and to benefit from their connections to the Internet. Our goal is to enable every student at every school to take advantage of Netscape's software."
Netscape also recently announced a 'Take Home' license program for students and educators. This program allows students and educators who are licensed to use Netscape Navigator or Netscape Communicator client software at school to simply copy or download the software for home use at no additional cost, enabling them to access educational resources, corporate networks or Internet sites from home.
Netscape has increased its focus on the education sector through its involvement in the Technology Network (http://www.technetwork.org), a bipartisan advocacy organization for the high-tech industry. By partnering with over 30 member companies and organizations of TechNet, Netscape hopes to improve reading and math literacy and accelerate the use of Internet technologies in schools. TechNet is working on a technology concept called Education Dashboard, an idea created by Netscape co-founder Marc Andreessen. Education Dashboard is a graphical user interface design that allows parents to send email to their children, contact teachers and administrators and check school schedules and classwork information all over the Internet. Netscape has also been active in the education sector through its employees and numerous corporate activities. Netscape and its employees have participated in numerous NetDays, volunteering to help wire schools and provide free software. Last year, Netscape also supported proposals for discounted Internet access for schools.
"Public and private sector cooperation on issues like Internet access for schools is essential," said Reed Hundt, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. "We applaud Netscape for its commitment to helping our nation's students improve their learning through providing its technology for free."
Netscape currently has more then 500 licensing agreements in place with schools and universities all over the world. Following are some examples showcasing how schools are exploiting Netscape Internet and Intranet technology. These case studies and others can be found online at the Netscape Education site at http://education.netscape.com.
"The Internet provides universities with unlimited opportunities," said Rob Kubasko, art and content director for the Arizona State University Web site. "We can more efficiently and more effectively do so many things. The Internet now gives us a glimpse of the changes to come in education in the next two to three decades. Any educational institution will want to be part of that change."
The Netscape Education Everywhere licensing agreement can be found online on the Netscape Internet site at http://home.netscape.com/comprod/business_solutions/education/products_pricing/rtc.pdf. Students or educators simply need to fill out and submit the form, and they will be instantly licensed to download and make local copies of Netscape client and server software. International customers should contact their local Netscape sales office or reseller for availability.
Netscape offers a variety of discounts and special educational packages to make its products more accessible to educational institutions interested in shrink-wrapped software and installation support or technical documentation. Information on Netscape's special educational packages can be found online at http://education.netscape.com.
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.
Additional information on Netscape Communications Corporation is available on the Internet at http://home.netscape.com, or by sending email to moreinfo@netscape.com. Corporate customers can call 415/937-2555, while consumers can call 415/937-3777 for more information.
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