Netscape's Internet Search Directory Surpasses One Million Web Sites from More than 16,000 Contributors

NEW YORK, NY, (Oct. 5, 1999) America Online Inc. (NYSE: AOL), today announced that its Internet search directory, the Netscape Open Directory Project, has continued its unprecedented rate of growth -- surpassing one million Web sites from a growing list of more than 16,000 active contributors.

Open Directory powers the all-new AOL Search(SM) feature on the AOL service and AOL.COM, which was unveiled today at the international launch of the next-generation AOL 5.0 software.

Barry Schuler, President of the AOL Interactive Services, said: "We launched the Open Directory just over a year ago and today its well on the way to becoming the largest directory of the Internet. Its growth is unmatched by any other directory of its kind in the world. Netscapes Open Directory is an important new direction for the Internet search industry and demonstrates the power of the open source movement and the enthusiasm of the Web community.

The Netscape Open Directory Project is the first Internet directory search service built by the Web community at large and is an easy and fast way to find information relevant to users needs. Unlike closed proprietary directories that rely on small in-house editorial teams, the Open Directory empowers the Web community to review and categorize sites based on their area of interest and expertise. The Open Directory offers 1,000,000 sites in over 150,000 categories from 229 countries in 44 languages, and is available today at http:/dmoz.org.

To promote its continued growth, Netscape makes the Open Directory available to anyone under a free use license. More than one hundred leading Internet companies have licensed the directory including AOL, Netscape, Lycos, HotBot and InfoSpace.

The Open Directory delivers up-to-date and relevant search results by employing the industrys first freshness dating system delivering less than one-percent dead links. Consumers can easily recommend new sites for the directory and, with more than 16,000 contributors, new sites are quickly reviewed, categorized and added to the directory. Finally, Netscape helps facilitate communication in the Open Directory community with the newly integrated AOL Instant Messenger and ICQ services.

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.

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.