MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (November 10, 1997) -- Netscape Communications Corporation (NASDAQ:NSCP) today announced that its Internet site - home.netscape.com - has been ranked as the most popular site among people using the Web at their workplace. Media Metrix, The PC Meter Company, reports that nearly half of all workers who used the Web in September visited Netscape's Internet site. In addition, Netscape announced that it has extended its Web promotion called the Great Internet Tune Up to include new weekly sweepstakes that offer the opportunity to win special Netcenter Tune Up prizes. With the extension of its sweepstakes and the planned launch of a number of new value-added services targeted at busy professionals, Netscape's goal is to add another one million members to the Netscape Netcenter online service by the end of 1997.
"We are well on our way to reaching our next milestone of adding another one million Netcenter members by year end," said Jennifer Bailey, vice president, Web site at Netscape. "Several indicators demonstrate Netscape's ability to become the Internet destination of choice among workplace users including reports such as the one from Media Metrix; the fact that in 2 months since launch, we've already added 600,000 members to Netcenter and the rate at which we are adding new programs to our service. As Netscape continues to create a business hub for Internet users seeking compelling content and services, our Tune Up promotion also incents new members with the opportunity to win in the sweepstakes."
The Media Metrix study reports that 47.9 percent of Web users at work visited the Netscape Web site in September. The study also shows that Netscape ranks highest in the following categories: Usage days per person, viewings per page request and minutes per page request.
The study reports findings based on research of Internet use among people at work using Media Metrix's PC Meter technology. PC Meter's continuous sample of business users of the Web began in February 1997. PC Meter started tracking home Web usage in January 1996. The actual Web activities of each sample member is tracked and recorded electronically by patented PC Meter software, which members install on their PCs.
Through Netscape's Internet Tune Up promotion, Internet users registering for Netscape Netcenter will be automatically entered into weekly drawings for an opportunity to win special Netcenter Tune Up prizes including: PalmPilots by 3Com, CDs from N2K's Music Boulevard, Toshiba DVD Players from netMarket, and Sony Digital Mavica floppy disk cameras. The Great Internet Tune Up is featured on the front page of Netcenter.
Netscape Netcenter, launched in September, has gained 600,000 members in the past two months in addition to the million initial members participating through pre-existing programs. If Netscape succeeds in its plan to add an additional million members by the end of 1997, Netcenter will surpass MSN's current membership which is estimated at 2.4 million according to Jupiter Communications Interactive Scoreboard. Netcenter enables busy professionals to easily access and personalize online business resources from one central location. Netcenter is a free members-only community that targets the top 30 percent of Internet users. It is currently organized into three major sections: Content, which includes customizable services that bring business users easy, central access to useful and compelling news and information and leverage the features of Netscape Communicator; Community, which contains services to enable communication and collaboration between professionals and businesses and Software, which provides services that make it easy for users to easily update and maintain the leading-edge software they need to take full advantage of the Internet and Intranets. Coming soon will be Marketplace, providing users with several new electronic commerce categories of products and services.
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 650/937-2555 while consumers can call 650/937-3777 for more information.
Netscape, Netscape Navigator, and the Netscape N logo are registered trademarks of Netscape Communications Corporation in the United States and other countries. Other Netscape logos, product names, and service names are also trademarks of Netscape Communications Corporation, which may be registered in other countries.