LOS ANGELES and MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (November 20, 1997) -- Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas), a subsidiary of Los Angeles-based Pacific Enterprises (NYSE:PET), and Netscape Communications Corporation (NASDAQ:NSCP) today announced that SoCalGas' new 'Energy Marketplace' Web site (http://www.energymarketplace.com) uses Netscape Enterprise Server software to create, manage and distribute retail energy marketing information across the Internet. 'Energy Marketplace' is a Web-based one-stop shop for natural gas information and is the first Web site of its kind introduced in the retail energy industry.
Launched this week, 'Energy Marketplace' is available to SoCalGas' more than four million gas customers in Southern California. The service is available to an additional four million customers in Northern California via SoCalGas' relationship with Pacific Gas & Electric Co. 'Energy Marketplace' provides free, real-time access to information about independent energy suppliers, natural gas commodity prices and other energy-related information. When using the service, users are guided step-by-step through a point-and-click 'wizard' that enables them to submit a request for energy pricing information quickly and easily from different suppliers.
"We chose Netscape Enterprise Server for 'Energy Marketplace' because we believe Netscape is the Internet technology leader," said Steven Durflinger, software project manager at SoCalGas. "With its impressive flexibility, open architecture and ease-of-implementation, Netscape Enterprise Server enabled SoCalGas' Web team to design and deploy an innovative Web solution."
"'Energy Marketplace' provides consumers and businesses with a valuable service for comparing and contrasting energy solutions online," said Mike Homer, executive vice president of worldwide sales and marketing at Netscape. "Netscape Enterprise Server provides support for open standards, scalability and multiple platforms which enables Southern California Gas to leverage existing information technology investments and provide a complete energy information source to its customers."
'Energy Marketplace' is designed to create a competitive environment that can provide substantial yearly energy savings for customers. The service enables energy suppliers to review customers' requests for pricing proposals and respond with competitive bids. After reviewing the bids, customers directly contact their chosen supplier to arrange service offline. Previously, energy bidding required numerous telephones calls, faxes or emails. 'Energy Marketplace' streamlines the process into a single Web-based information exchange.
"'Energy Marketplace' represents the future of buying and selling energy," added Eric Baty, business information manager at SoCalGas. "Now, customers can tap one Web source to find suppliers that best meet their particular energy requirements. In addition to helping lower consumer transaction costs, the site enables suppliers to reach numerous small business customers much more quickly and inexpensively than ever before."
Southern California Gas Co. (http://www.socalgas.com), a subsidiary of Los Angeles-based Pacific Enterprises (NYSE:PET), is the nation's largest natural gas distributor with 4.8 million customers within a 23,000-square mile service territory. 'Energy Marketplace' is a service mark of Southern California Gas.
Netscape Communications Corp. (NASDAQ:NSCP), based in Mountain View, Calif., 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.
Additional information on Netscape Communications Corp. is available on the Internet at http://home.netscape.com, by sending email to moreinfo@netscape.com, or by calling 650/937-2555 (corporate customers) or 650/937-3777 (individuals).
Netscape, Netscape Navigator, Netscape ONE, and the Netscape N and Ship's Wheel logos are registered trademarks of Netscape Communications Corp. in the United States and other countries. Other Netscape logos, product names, and service names are also trademarks of Netscape Communications Corp., which may be registered in other countries.