3/87.3.3 Netscape Communications Corp.
Netscape Communications is a founding member of the WWW Consortium, a group devoted to establishing international WWW protocols and standards. Future security standards supported by the Consortium will be implemented in Netscape Communications' products.
Netscape Communications Corp. produces Netscape Navigator, Netsite Communications Server and Netsite Commerce Server, the online hypermedia document navigation system. The Netscape Navigator and Netsite server software make commerce and information exchange on the Internet and other TCP/IP-based networks as simple as point-and-click.
The Netscape Navigator and the Netsite servers bring secure communications, performance and point-and-click simplicity to companies and individuals who want to create or access information services on global networks. The Netscape navigator and Netsite servers offer easy to use interfaces for serving and accessing multimedia and hypermedia information on the net, including formatted text, graphics, audio and video.
The products are fully compatible with other HTTP-based clients and servers, while offering integrated security and good levels of performance.
Netsite network server software
Netsite is a commercial Internet server software that is compatible with the NCSA httpd server. Netsite software allows organizations to `serve' or post information, including formatted text, graphical images, audio and video and to conduct transactions on the Internet and other global networks using the Internet protocol.
The Netsite product line includes two products available for UNIX-based platforms:
- Netsite Communications Server
- Netsite Commerce Server
The Netsite Communications Server is designed for applications that do not require the security features contained in the Netsite Commerce Server. Such applications include the delivery of online marketing materials and customer support information to customers, and communications to employees.
The Netsite Commerce Server makes electronic commerce a reality allowing transactions and the exchange of sensitive data on the Internet. This server provides security based on public-key cryptographic technology from RSA Data Security Inc. Security features include data encryption to ensure the privacy of client/server communications and server authentication, which uses certification and a digital signature to verify the legitimacy of the server.
Netscape Navigator
The Netscape Navigator is a graphical WWW browser. It has a very simple, easy to learn and use interface. Of course, transactions carried out over the net demand that your personal information is protected; the Netscape Navigator provides a secure Internet interface (See also Chapter 30 for security features.) The Netscape Navigator is available -- and is functionally identical -- on Windows, Macintosh and UNIX XWindows systems (LAN edition only). This common look, feel, and behavior is a major advantage in mixed computing environments. Following are the main features of the Netscape Navigator:
- multiple, simultaneous image download;
- continuous document streaming;
- document and image caching;
- native JPEG image decompression;
- interoperates with multi-protocol Web clients and servers;
- native support for HTTP, FTP and NNTP means FTP and news reader/posting utilities are no longer necessary;
- multiple search technologies are supported through Web page instant links -- no UNIX commands or separate utilities to learn or use;
- data encryption ensures unwelcome eyes will not have access to private information;
- server authentication provides assurance your information is going where you planned;
- Netscape Communications' Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology provides application-independent secure connectivity to all S-HTTPS server sites; for alternatives see Chapter 30;
- toolbar for frequently used commands;
- bookmark facility allows maintenance, index and search of a hierarchical list of favorite Internet sites;
- network transfer progress indicator makes wait time predictable.