NETSCAPE
In an age of technological advancement whether in the country or abroad, we have heard about mozilla firefox, google chrome, internet explorer and many others but did we know about “netsape navigator” as a web browser?Netscape was a computer services company best known as the most popular Web browser, Netscape Navigator. It can influence the development of the Web into a graphical user experience rather than a purely text-based one.
Marc Andressen, who was a programmer, American entrepreneur and also well-known investor because of his popularity in launching several technology start-up businesses.He born on July 9, 1971 and graduated in Bachelor of Computer Science University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.Because of his profession and skill set,he became a software engineer. Marc Andressen managed to co-write the code for a web browser, Mosaic for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) in 1993. Mosaic (NCSA) was the first graphical web browser that used a graphical user interface(GUI). It becomes really popular and captures the imagination of the public.
From that positive outcome, he co-founded Mosaic Communication Corporation in April 1994. But the company name didn’t last long, it was changed to Netscape Communication Corporation. After Marc Andreesen, Jawin Zawinskin and other team members create Netscape, NCSA Mosaic became more amazing because it was the first available for Microsoft Office, Macintosh and the Unix Window system and high possible for to bring the web for the average user. Marc Andreesen also owns Ning,a popular social networking platform, chaired Opsware, CTO of American Online and as a stakeholder. Other than that, he served on the board of directors for other technology companies, including Facebook, HP, eBay, Foursquare and Pinterest.
RISE AND FALL OF NETSCAPE
Due to the fastest-growing software, Netscape Navigator became a phenomenon in the history of the web as the most signification application. Several strategic decisions by a company that has been made could be linked to the Netscape’s initial domination of the browser market and widely distributed. In 1996, Netscape just sent 5% only to be delivered through the world wide web while much has been made of the company’s decision to distribute its browser for free over the internet. Because of that, Netscape doesn’t need to explain the extended popularity of free beta version download. Either retail or into the growing corporate segment of the market in the majority of the company’s browser sales has occurred. For example, Netscape’s business plan includes direct sales to the Fortune 100 corporations and agreements with scores of OEM companies like Compaq, IBM, HP, Sun, and Digital.As a key factor of success, it shouldn’t be overlooked in the company’s proficiency in traditional product distribution network. After that, “coopetition” was one of the strategies Netscape used to publish standards openly. As a result, many partners would like to share the market and profits with full willingness. Gradually, Netscape became a strong brand name with a large installed client base and can provide a decent revenue continuously from a software company at the end of 1997.
However, Netscape had a big problem when the browser market is decreasing and profits on the decline of 52 million to 12 million a year earlier. The revenue from advertising, e-commerce, and sales of Internet software used on servers could not bear to balance client software sales so Netscape announced to lay off the 300 workers from 3200 workers and 115 million net loss at the time of the crisis.More than that, Windows 95 which is an operating system, separates Microsoft’s Browser and Internet Explorer 4.0 so PC makers are required to add Internet Explorer as well when they installed it in Windows 95. So, Netscape lost more hardcore users of its browsers and customers of its web application servers until today.
LESSON
About 20 years ago, over 90% of internet users just used one browser only, Netscape Navigator but the picture was really different at that time. It often heard as “first internet start-up that actually mattered” and the first company wants to get in the nascent World Wide Web. Microsoft always in a good reputation when its squashed the competitors and had a monopoly in the software market as well. But, Netscape had more advantages than Microsoft and it causes Mark Andressen overly comfortable with his high position and a bit arrogant too.He underestimated Microsoft by said, “Windows is dead and poorly debugged set of device drivers”.With that such bad words, it raises the new spirits of Microsoft to put high effort and work hard to make new incentives without giving up easily. Because of that, Microsoft can build a product that wipes out the Netscape.
