Netscape Communications Corporation today announced that developers and content providers are welcoming the availability of Netscape Navigator 3.0, a major new release that signals the next era in Internet client software development. Third party companies plan to take advantage of version 3.0's advanced features, such as LiveAudio, LiveVideo and Live3D that enable the creation of exciting new Internet and Intranet applications and content. Netscape Navigator has already generated unprecedented support for the technologies it supports: 200,000 Web pages currently use Java and more than 300,000 Web pages currently include JavaScript. In addition, more than 30,000 Web sites are already "Best Viewed" with Netscape Navigator.

Among the companies that have announced plans to support the new 3.0 features on their sites are Apple Computer, Inc., Amazon Online, Avis, Big Book, CBS Sports, Charles Schwab, CMP, CNET, CNN Interactive, CNNfn, GTE, HotWired, Lycos, Individual Inc., OnVillage, Sony Music, SportsLine USA, Sun Microsystems, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Travelocity, Wells Fargo, WorldPages and ZD Net. As a result, visitors to the sites will be able to enjoy and explore site content more fully.

"Netscape Navigator 3.0 has grabbed the attention of Web masters, software developers and content developers because of the new opportunities it gives them to create and display engaging content and potentially increase site traffic," said Mike Homer, senior vice president of marketing at Netscape. "Once again, Netscape is creating the technologies that are helping to make the Internet a more entertaining and richer experience and is providing consumers and business with an Internet client that is more sophisticated and has higher performance but remains small, easy to use and download."

"Netscape Navigator 3.0's advanced integration of interactive media and easy, cross-platform scripting enables us to fulfill the needs of the thousands of site builders who are using NetObjects Fusion to build communication-rich Web sites," said Tom Melcher, NetObjects vice president of business development. "The combination of NetObjects Fusion's visual, site- oriented approach and innovative Netscape Navigator 3.0 features such as LiveAudio, LiveVideo, LiveConnect and JavaScript makes it easier for users to build sophisticated Web sites."

Netscape Navigator 3.0 is particularly appealing to developers who produce Netscape Navigator's popular Plug-ins. 175 plug-ins are featured on a Plug-in reference page at the ONE Stop Software site on Netscape's Internet site, which accommodates more than two million visits on a typical day. More than 200,000 users have taken advantage of Netscape's recently launched Plug-in Finder, a dynamic distribution system that alerts Web surfers when pages being browsed can utilize particular Plug-ins, and enables automatic downloading of the software.

"Netscape, Navigator 3.0's new capabilities make it easier to install and use Shockwave," said Joseph Ansanelli, director of Internet products at Macromedia. "With more than six million downloads, Shockwave is the standard for interactive multimedia on the Web and Macromedia applauds Netscape's success in advancing Internet technologies."

Some of the initial Plug-in developers to take advantage of Netscape Navigator 3.0 functionality include FutureWave Software, mBed Software, Net- Scene, Progressive Networks, SSEYO Ltd. and Tumbleweed. Netscape itself will provide LiveAudio and LiveVideo Plug-ins.

The release of Netscape Navigator 3.0 makes it possible for corporate and commercial developers to deliver applications enriched with features such as system administration, security, real-time collaboration, and sophisticated live content. In particular, Netscape Navigator 3.0 simplifies the programming process with enhancements to JavaScript and LiveConnect(TM) -- which enables developers to easily integrate interactive capabilities such as audio, video, 3D and Internet telephony into their Web pages by facilitating communication between Java applets, JavaScript and Netscape Plug-ins.

Multimedia pioneers such as Headspace and Macromedia are applying Netscape Navigator's JavaScript enhancements to improve performance, reduce memory requirements and build content-optimizing intelligence into Web pages. Java tools vendors are also enthused. Astound, with its Astound WebMotion tool that helps Web publishers incorporate spectacular animation capabilities directly into any Netscape Navigator Web page, is only one example of the opportunities Netscape Navigator 3.0 makes possible.

Netscape's recently-introduced ONE open network environment provides a framework which addresses the continuing needs of developers who build applications and content for enterprise environments -- a stronghold for the Netscape platform.

"The need for best-of-class Intranet development tools has rapidly become a critical need among many of our customers who support Netscape client software in business applications," said Bob Zurek, vice president of research and technology of the Powersoft Business Group of Sybase, Inc. "With Navigator 3.0 and Powersoft's development tools, corporate developers will have a rich environment for building sophisticated business applications for the Web."

Momentum behind ONE is accelerating. More than 50 organizations recently announced their support for Netscape ONE as a framework for building interoperable Internet applications for distributed computing environments. In addition, more than 20 vendors have licensed ONE technologies to deliver next-generation software development tools.

 

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