Press Release

Netscape Launches Personal Finance Channel on Netscape Netcenter

New Channel Delivers Most Timely Investment Information of Any Major Portal, and Easy Access to Stock Quotes From Anywhere on the Web

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (February 3, 1999) - Netscape Communications Corporation
(NASDAQ:NSCP) today announced the debut of the Netscape Personal Finance channel, and the Investing sub-channel, on its Netscape Netcenter portal (http://home.netscape.com.) The Netscape Personal Finance channel integrates Netscape's software with resources from leading financial service providers to deliver the most timely financial data found on any major portal.

Live today, the Netscape Personal Finance channel features free real-time stock quotes, eliminating the 20-minute delays found on competing web sites; daily mutual fund updates, rather than monthly reports that appear on other portals; and a selection of content and services from top names in the financial services industry for novice and professional investors alike. For Netscape Communicator 4.5 users, Netscape has added a new keyword to Smart Browsing which enables instant stock and mutual fund quotes from anywhere on the web. Netscape plans to launch a Tax sub-channel later this month, followed by Online Banking, Mortgage, Insurance and Retirement sub-channels over the next several months.

To deliver the comprehensive content and easy-to-use services available throughout the Netscape Personal Finance channel, Netscape has entered into agreements with several notable financial services companies, including Morningstar, Inc. to provide daily mutual fund updates, research and analysis; S&P Personal Wealth to deliver market news, stocks and mutual fund reports and investing tutorials; Thomson Investors Network to provide real-time stock quotes and equities research; The Motley Fool to dispense information and education on investing basics; Reuters Group PLC to provide market and business news; and TIBCO Software, Inc., to provide content integration services to support the channel. Citibank is the anchor tenant for the Personal Finance channel, and will receive front-page positioning and exposure throughout the site.

"The online investment market is booming, fueled in part by the convenience and ease-of-use of today's Internet-based financial resources," said Maria Wilhelm, senior vice president of programming for Netscape Netcenter. "Our design goal for the Personal Finance channel has been to create a one-stop destination where members have easy access to the investment advice, research, news, and financial data they need to make informed decisions about managing their money, and then to act on those decisions."

Since timely access to stock and mutual fund quotes is a key concern among investors, Netscape built it right into the browser. As the company delivers new online mortgage, insurance and banking services, Netcenter's new Personal Finance channel will prove to be one of the most comprehensive and timely sources of financial information and data on the Internet.

The new Netscape Personal Finance channel provides each Netscape Netcenter member with a free, personalized portfolio manager enabling them to centralize all of their diverse holdings and track the performance of specific investments. Extensive investment research is also easy to access, including stock and mutual fund data, charts, corporate profiles, market news, and a wealth of investment advice and tutorials.

Netscape Communicator 4.5 users gain an additional benefit related to the new channel. To gain instant access to stock and mutual fund prices and information from anywhere on the Internet, Netscape has added a new key word feature to Smart Browsing. By simply typing the word "quote" into the Location bar, followed by a company's or mutual fund's trading symbol (example: "quote nscp"), the user is instantly taken to a quote page where they receive the latest stock or mutual fund price. In addition, this page provides easy access to a company or fund profile, detailed financial statistics, and the latest news about that specific company or fund.

"Citigroup and Netscape have created a powerful online resource for consumers who want trusted and valuable financial information along with easy access to products," said Josh Grotstein, division executive for global Internet and e-commerce programs at Citigroup's e-Citi unit. "Through Netscape's Personal Finance channel, we will provide consumers around the world with access to Citigroup's breadth of financial services."

The information, services and investment tools available on the Netscape
Personal Finance channel are provided by the following companies:

  • Morningstar, the independent investment information services firm, will provide Netcenter users with the latest information and data on mutual funds, including profiles, Morningstar Star Ratings and a proprietary Mutual Fund Selector. This selector enables users to quickly search a category of funds from a Morningstar database of more than 6,850 funds to see which score the highest returns, or to simply gather past performance criteria. Netscape's technology enables Netcenter members to receive daily updates to its mutual fund research, rather than the monthly updates found on competing web sites.

  • S&P Personal Wealth, Standard & Poor's Internet investment advisory service, is a unique online service offering individuals specific, tailored investment recommendations. S&P Personal Wealth combines the best of the McGraw-Hill Companies' internationally-recognized financial investment and news service with advice from Standard & Poor's, a respected source of independent investment knowledge. Netcenter users can choose from an assortment of investing commentary, including Stock of the Week, Takeover Talk, What's Hot, What's Not, and Word on the Street. They have easy access to detailed analysis on more than 9500 publicly-traded stocks and 8500 mutual funds, as well as financial news, market intelligence and investment planning advice.

  • Thomson Investors Network, part of Thomson Financial Services (TFS), provides free real-time quotes, eliminating the 20 minute delays commonly found on competing web sites. In addition, Thomson Investors Network will make available professional-quality stock and financial content from other well-known TFS companies, including analyst recommendations from First Call, insider buying and selling activity from CDA/Investment, institutional buying and selling activity from CDA/Spectrum and detailed company financial data. Additionally, SEC filing information, mergers and acquisition data, IPO information and top stock performers will soon be available by industry group.

  • The Motley Fool answers frequently asked questions about the market and investing to untangle and demystify the world of finance. For newcomers, the "8 Step Tutorial to Investing" provides a wealth of advice to get started.

  • Reuters provides current market and business news 24 hours each day.

  • TIBCO, a supplier of hosted content integration services, provides its TIBCO.net service to the Personal Finance channel. TIBCO.net integrates stock quotes, company and market news and select financial data and charts, which is then delivered seamlessly to Netcenter users.

    Netscape Netcenter is Netscape's leading 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 has eighteen channels, a set of leading-edge services that includes the new Netscape-branded Search, Netscape Contact, Netscape SmartUpdate, Software Download, Member Directory, the 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 corporate sales at 650/937-2555.

    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.