Netscape Unveils Next-Generation Portal Service, Called 'Custom Netcenter'

NEW YORK, NY, Fall Internet World '98 (October 8, 1998) - Netscape Communications Corporation (NASDAQ:NSCP) today unveiled a next-generation portal service called 'Custom Netcenter,' which brings the power of consumer portals to enterprises, Internet service providers, OEMs, and government and education markets. Custom Netcenter will enable organizations to create corporate portals that integrate the services and content of the popular Netscape Netcenter portal with Netscape's enterprise software and a company's specific applications and business information. Companies will be able to create dynamic, customized start pages for employees. Based on Netscape's leading-edge My Netscape software, these start pages can include custom business applications and personalized business content, leveraging the vast amount of information and services available on Netcenter.

"If 1998 was the year of the consumer portal, then 1999 will be the year of the custom portal," said Mike Homer, executive vice president and general manager of Netscape's Netcenter division. "Custom Netcenter enables organizations to tailor their Internet, intranet and extranet services by taking advantage of the massive resources of the Netcenter portal to create smarter, more personalized business services for their users. Bringing the power of portals to new audiences represents the next step in the portal evolution. We look forward to providing enterprises, ISPs, OEMs, and government and educational institutions with the tools and services they need to customize their users' Internet experiences."

The introduction of Custom Netcenter is part of Netscape's Project Turbo campaign to establish Netcenter as the fastest-growing Internet portal. Custom Netcenter provides Netscape with significant opportunities for increasing customer acquisition and reaching new markets. Custom Netcenter will be available in beta by mid-November to select beta customers including such leading companies as 3Com, Visteon Automotive Systems and others.

"We have built a real-time, event-driven messaging infrastructure called The Active Enterprise at 3Com," says Klaus Schulz, Global Strategic Webmaster for 3Com. "This infrastructure will have tremendous amounts of information ready to be personalized and customized by the individual employee, customer, or business partner. Custom Netcenter will enable us to view integrated Intranet applications and business information along with content and applications from the Internet and our partner's Extranets. The Active Enterprise at 3Com coupled with Custom Netcenter will give 3Com employees a
customized view of the Net that will enable us to enhance our Internet, Intranet and Extranet services with the immense resources of an Internet portal to create smarter, more personalized web services for our employees."

For enterprises, ISPs, OEMs, and government and education institutions, Custom Netcenter will provide the ability to enhance existing applications and services by leveraging the power of Netcenter content and services in order to provide users with all of the information and tools they need to make their businesses more productive.

Through Custom Netcenter, IT departments can save time and money and regain control of their company start pages by offering more targeted and relevant pages to their users that integrate portal services such as news, company information, business applications and productivity tools with their own corporate content and applications. With the combination of Custom Netcenter and Mission Control Desktop, Netscape now offers IT a complete management solution for defining their users' browsing experiences.

Custom Netcenter provides its users with a number of choices, enabling them to add and view exactly the information that they need on their start pages - regardless of whether the information or service resides on Netcenter, the Internet, or the company's intranet/extranet. In addition, because the portals will be powered by Custom Netcenter, users will be able to gain access to the personalized information they need whether they are at home at work, or on the road.

Because of Netscape's ability to leverage its enterprise software solutions in conjunction with its portal business, Netscape is uniquely positioned to deliver the power of portals to corporate audiences through Custom Netcenter. In addition, companies that take advantage of the highly successful Netscape Unlimited Distribution program will now be able to offer their audiences customized versions of Netscape Netcenter as well as customized versions of Netscape Navigator or Communicator software.

The first release of Custom Netcenter will focus on enabling customers to create custom versions of the 'My Netscape' personalization service. This version will also allow companies to change the look-and-feel of their Custom Netcenter service and integrate and personalize their own content and applications. Future plans call for tighter integration between Netcenter services and Netscape's enterprise software.

Netscape Netcenter is Netscape's fast-growing portal site that provides users with a home base on the Internet. From Netcenter, users can navigate the Internet, access a broad range of consumer and business content and services, and communicate with others online. The site includes 17 content channels, a set of leading-edge services including Netscape-branded Search, Netscape Contact, SmartUpdate, Software Download, Member Directory, My Netscape personalization service, and WebMail.

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.

Additional information on Netscape Communications Corporation is available on the Internet at http://home.netscape.com, by sending email to info@netscape.com, or by calling 650/937-2555 (corporations) or 650/937-3777 (individuals).

Netscape, Netscape Navigator, Netscape Certificate Server, Netscape ONE, SuiteSpot and the Netscape N and Ship's Wheel logos 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. Other product and brand names are trademarks of their respective owners.