MEXICO CITY and MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (October 14, 1997) -- ICA Fluor Daniel, a leading engineering corporation in Mexico, and Netscape Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: NSCP) today announced that ICA Fluor Daniel is using Netscape client and server software as the enabling technology for its Intranet and Extranet. ICA Fluor Daniel chose Netscape technologies to develop and deliver a common, project-focused user interface for enabling its global work teams to share project information and to provide integrated application services across the company.
In order to improve global project team productivity and reduce costs, ICA Fluor Daniel needed a solution that would provide immediate access to key information and applications during the design-build work process, supporting the tasks performed by users on a collaborative workspace. Working on industrial projects for global companies involves coordination between disperse entities since project job sites, engineering task forces and clients may be located across different time zones and geographical locations. This situation increases the potential for higher costs, risks and difficulties in achieving effective coordination, collaboration and communication, issues which the Netscape software enabled the company to address.
ICA Fluor Daniel employees in the engineering, procurement and construction teams also needed daily access to sophisticated computer-based tools to generate and review engineering models and drawings, as well as detailed vendor data. To enable its global work teams to communicate better on industrial projects, ICA Fluor Daniel implemented an Intranet based on Netscape Communicator client software and Netscape SuiteSpot server software, increasing effectiveness and profitability.
"In a period of six months prior to the Intranet implementation, ICA Fluor Daniel spent U.S. $25,000 in paper costs to distribute ISO 9001 procedures; since the Intranet has been in place, we have spent almost nothing and are no longer subject to lost man-hours waiting for project information to arrive by mail," said Jose Zegarra, IT manager at ICA Fluor Daniel. "We are implementing our Intranet in phases, working toward the 'Networked Enterprise' vision. Netscape has a cohesive technology roadmap and vision and consistently delivers its scheduled products. Our next step is to build an Extranet which will leverage the existing infrastructure to allow collaboration between the company's users and suppliers, which will enable extended project teams and further improve our effectiveness in serving customers. It is just one more way our Netscape-based solution is giving us a competitive advantage."
"ICA Fluor Daniel has realized the business benefits of using Internet technology based on open standards to create Intranet and Extranet solutions, resulting in improved productivity of global work teams, reduced costs and better customer service," said Mario Oliveira, vice president of Latin America sales at Netscape. "With its Netscape software-based Intranet and Extranet, ICA Fluor Daniel's employees, customers, suppliers, subcontractors, clients and financial institution partners just need to go to one place to get the information they need to do their jobs."
One key application developed by using Netscape technology provides users with access to a centrally controlled, complete set of published, categorized ISO 9001 procedures with search capabilities. This application fulfills the company's requirement for making ISO 9001 procedures documentation available to all employees in a very cost-effective manner.
The other key application deployed in this initial phase of Intranet development is PROSPERO, an industrial project environment that geographically separate entities can access to participate in what ICA Fluor Daniel calls 'worksharing.' PROSPERO lets project members transfer files effectively, view CAD-generated drawings simultaneously across distances, red-line vendor data and publish documents that other project members can view. With PROSPERO, ICA Fluor Daniel provides a project forum for worldwide collaboration and communication while reducing complexity and costs.
By using Netscape SuiteSpot server software, ICA Fluor Daniel achieved native connectivity with its databases and a high-performance solution for building and deploying multi-tiered network-centric applications. Server-side JavaScript applications created and deployed using Netscape Enterprise Server and Netscape LiveWire software provide access to ISO 9001 and engineering information housed in Oracle and other ODBC compliant databases. Netscape Catalog Server software is used to catalog new content that appears in the functional content areas of Netscape Enterprise Server.
Netscape Messaging Server software is currently used as an SMTP server to provide connectivity to the Internet and enable the company's new mailing addresses. The company is also in the implementation stage of LDAP Directory services to add, manage and delete users in one location. More importantly, the company now has the infrastructure in place to develop Crossware applications that will extend key Intranet capabilities to outside entities.
ICA Fluor Daniel is an engineering, procurement and construction company that provides services to a wide range of industries, including automobile, environmental, electronics, pharmaceuticals, power generation, gas and petroleum, petrochemical, mining and minerals, chemical, telecommunications, food and beverages and others. During the last three years, ICA Fluor Daniel has produced more than 2 million engineering man-hours.
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.
Netscape and Netscape Navigator are registered trademarks of Netscape Communications Corporation in the United States and other countries. Netscape's logos and Netscape product and service names are also trademarks of Netscape Communications Corporation, which may be registered in other countries.