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http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7009566933
AOL Pulls The Plug On Netscape; Developments, Updates Cease Starting
February
December 28, 2007 10:15 p.m. EST
Harriette Cecilio - AHN News Writer
New York, NY (AHN) - America Online (AOL) will be pulling the plug on
Netscape Navigator starting Feb. 1; 13 years after the launch of the world's
first commercial Web browser. Time Warner Inc.'s AOL decided to halt future
development and technical support for Netscape and concentrate on the
company's other revenue-generating operations.
Netscape users have dropped with the introduction of Internet Explorer by
Microsoft Corporation and later, Firefox, an open-source browser. Microsoft
quickly won market share when it gave away its Internet Explorer browser for
free with its flagship Windows operating system. The bundling resulted in an
antitrust lawsuit, which later ended with a multi-million settlement with
Microsoft.
Netscape Director Tom Drapeau said Friday efforts to regain market share
have proved futile.
"While internal groups within AOL have invested a great deal of time and
energy in attempting to revive Netscape Navigator, these efforts have not
been successful in gaining market share from Microsoft's Internet Explorer,"
said Drapeau, in a blog entry.
In 1998, AOL, the largest Internet access service, acquired Netscape
Communications for $4.2 billion.
AOL then envisioned that Netscape's brand, portal, and people will help turn
the promise of electronic commerce into reality.
Netscape was so popular that it even listed publicly in August 1995, and
registered a $2 billion market value even though it had only $20 million in
sales.
Drapeau said AOL will no longer release security and other updates for
Netscape beginning February although the browser may still used and
downloaded indefinitely.
He advised Netscape users to instead download Firefox.
AOL Pulls The Plug On Netscape; Developments, Updates Cease Starting
February
December 28, 2007 10:15 p.m. EST
Harriette Cecilio - AHN News Writer
New York, NY (AHN) - America Online (AOL) will be pulling the plug on
Netscape Navigator starting Feb. 1; 13 years after the launch of the world's
first commercial Web browser. Time Warner Inc.'s AOL decided to halt future
development and technical support for Netscape and concentrate on the
company's other revenue-generating operations.
Netscape users have dropped with the introduction of Internet Explorer by
Microsoft Corporation and later, Firefox, an open-source browser. Microsoft
quickly won market share when it gave away its Internet Explorer browser for
free with its flagship Windows operating system. The bundling resulted in an
antitrust lawsuit, which later ended with a multi-million settlement with
Microsoft.
Netscape Director Tom Drapeau said Friday efforts to regain market share
have proved futile.
"While internal groups within AOL have invested a great deal of time and
energy in attempting to revive Netscape Navigator, these efforts have not
been successful in gaining market share from Microsoft's Internet Explorer,"
said Drapeau, in a blog entry.
In 1998, AOL, the largest Internet access service, acquired Netscape
Communications for $4.2 billion.
AOL then envisioned that Netscape's brand, portal, and people will help turn
the promise of electronic commerce into reality.
Netscape was so popular that it even listed publicly in August 1995, and
registered a $2 billion market value even though it had only $20 million in
sales.
Drapeau said AOL will no longer release security and other updates for
Netscape beginning February although the browser may still used and
downloaded indefinitely.
He advised Netscape users to instead download Firefox.