Netscape Enables Corporate Developers to Easily Directory-Enable Extranet Applications

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (August 20, 1998) - Netscape Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: NSCP) today announced the release of Netscape's PerLDAP software modules that enable corporate developers to easily directory-enable their extranet applications. PerLDAP combines the power of Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) and the popularity of the Perl scripting language for adding directory capabilities to extranet applications, as well as automating LDAP-based directory processes. Netscape plans to make the source code for PerLDAP available at no charge to developers from the mozilla.org site and the Comprehensive Perl Archive Network site, a leading Perl developer site.

According to the Perl Journal, Perl is used by over one million estimated developers worldwide. Developed in conjunction with Clayton Donley, a leading contributor to the open source development effort, PerLDAP enables developers to write to and manage LDAP-enabled corporate directories and applications quickly and easily using the Perl scripting language. In addition, the modules enable network administrators to leverage the easy-to-use scripting language to automate LDAP-based directory processes such as synchronizing directories or accessing information stored in a directory.

"Providing Perl developers with direct, integrated access to LDAP helps minimize the complexity and effort required to write directory-enabled extranet applications," said Tim Howes, vice president and chief technology officer for the Server Products Division at Netscape.

"Perl started out as a text processing language but has evolved into a glue language. It therefore delights me to see Netscape using Perl to help glue together the new world of information," said Larry Wall, the inventor of Perl and a leading advocate of open source development. "And it bodes well that Netscape is continuing to lead in the open source movement by publishing this work on mozilla.org and CPAN."

"Many of Bay Networks legacy applications today are written in Perl," said Jeremy King, manager of eCommerce applications at Bay Networks. "Using Netscape's PerLDAP modules to bind Perl to the LDAP standard will allow us to directory-enable existing applications while saving time and maximizing our investment."

The source code for Netscape's PerLDAP is expected to be available for download this month from http://www.mozilla.org and http://www.cpan.org at no charge.

Netscape Communications Corporation is a leading provider of software and services for businesses that want to transform the way they create and keep customers in the emerging Net Economy. The company offers a full line of enterprise software solutions, professional services, and a leading Internet portal to help companies build, buy or outsource Internet applications that drive revenue growth, build customer loyalty, and create new levels of business efficiency. Traded on NASDAQ under the symbol NSCP, Netscape Communications Corporation is based in Mountain View, California.

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