Netscape Announces New Communicator 4.7, Providing Consumers With One-Click Access To Shopping, Enhanced Internet Search And Music

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (September 30, 1999) -- Netscape Communications, a subsidiary of America Online Inc. (NYSE: AOL), today announced that Netscape Communicator (R) 4.7, the latest version of its award-winning Internet browser and email software, is now available for download free or on a CD via Netscape Netcenter. Netscape Communicator 4.7 enhances the consumer online experience by offering an integrated Shop@Netscape button designed to give users fast, easy one-click access to the leading consumer shopping destination in cyberspace. Communicator 4.7 also makes it faster and easier for consumers to search the Internet by simply entering new Internet Keywords such as "shop" into the Navigator browser location bar. The new browser offers next-generation music and multimedia features such as Netscape Radio, which rebroadcasts Spinner content, Winamp 2.5 and Flash Player 4.0, taking online music to the next level of accessibility.

"By providing seamless integration with services such as Shop@Netscape, Internet Keywords and Netscape Radio, Netscape Communicator 4.7 enables users to find what they want on the Web faster and easier, " said Jim Martin, senior vice president and general manager of Netcenter. "Netscape is making the Internet experience richer and more enjoyable."

With Shop@Netscape easily accessible via an integrated shopping button on Netscape Communicator 4.7, end users are one click away from 17 Commerce Centers and over 45 shopping categories. Shop@Netscape also includes daily programming and specials, links to what's happening in Netscape/Netcenter daily, seasonal catalogs that organize products by theme, and a bright, bold, engaging design. Shop@Netscape is part of AOL’s new "Shop@AOL" online shopping destination, which extends across AOL’s multiple brands and audiences and is creating the largest consumer marketplace in the world by reaching the more than 46 million people who use AOL's network of interactive brands every month. Shop@Netscape is designed to give consumers a convenient, state of the art shopping experience, offering great product selection from hundreds of top online, offline brand name retailers and sophisticated shopping services -- all in an easy and convenient one stop shopping destination.

Netscape Navigator 4.7 also features the award-winning Netscape Search and Internet Keywords to make finding information faster and easier by enabling consumers to search the Web, shop or look up a stock quote by using simple words and phrases right from the browser URL location field. Internet Keywords allow consumers to conveniently search from wherever they are on the Internet - avoiding the extra step of going to a search page to enter their search terms. Simply typing the word "search," a space and a term such as "NFL" in Netscape Search will deliver a list of football sites and categories. New to Netscape Communicator 4.7 is the “shop” keyword. Users can now simply type in the new keyword “shop” and the item they are interested in (for example, “shop shoes”) and Netscape Internet Keywords will return the most relevant sites related to the item. "Quote AOL" delivers up-to-the-minute stock quotes for the leader in interactive services.

Netscape Radio rebroadcasts Spinner content and provides consumers with an endless stream of music. In addition, Netscape Radio provides links to artists and music groups through Netscape Music, which offers information on more than 51,000 performers, 125,000 albums and more than one million songs. It also provides industry information across a multitude of music genres, album news, reviews, charts, Internet events and a variety of e-commerce opportunities. Netscape Radio can be accessed directly from the Communicator menu.

In addition, Winamp 2.5 adds the extremely popular digital music player technology to Netscape Communicator. Winamp includes an audio equalizer, song playlist, audio visualization, audio effects and many other customization features. Winamp is the leading high-fidelity music player for Windows, reaching more downloadable music listeners than other downloadable music players. Winamp supports many music formats, including MP3, MP2, CD audio, WMA, Mjuice, MOD and others. Flash Player 4.0 from Macromedia is also newly available in Communicator 4.7 and includes integrated support for high-fidelity streaming audio which lets users experience enhanced animation and entertainment in the Web browser.

Netscape further supports consumers' online communications needs by bundling the popular AOL Instant Messenger 3.0 software, the latest version of the highly popular real-time communications service that enables users to communicate with friends, family or co-workers instantly and privately through any Internet connection in instant and private messaging, one-on-one and group chats. The AIM 3.0 news ticker keeps users informed of current headlines and file transfer with virus scan lets a user instantly exchange pictures and documents.

Netscape has also made it easy to get Communicator 4.7. Consumers can download it from Netscape Netcenter or order the free software on CD for a nominal shipping charge by accessing http://cd.netscape.com/

About America Online, Inc.
Founded in 1985, America Online, Inc., based in Dulles, Virginia, is the world's leader in interactive services, Web brands, Internet technologies, and e-commerce services. America Online, Inc. operates: two worldwide Internet services, America Online, with more than 18 million members, and CompuServe, with approximately 2 million members; several leading Internet brands including ICQ, AOL Instant Messenger and Digital City, Inc.; the Netscape Netcenter and AOL.COM portals; the Netscape Navigator and Communicator browsers; and AOL MovieFone, the nation's largest movie listing guide and ticketing service. Through its strategic alliance with Sun Microsystems, the Company develops and offers easy-to-deploy, end-to-end e-commerce and enterprise solutions for companies operating in the Net Economy.

Additional information on Netscape 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 and the Netscape N logo are registered trademarks of Netscape Communications Corporation, a subsidiary of America Online, Inc., in the United States and other countries. Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun Logo are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries.