Netscape Communications Corp has announced a new addition to its Netcenter portal site with a plan to acquire AtWeb Inc, a provider of web site tools and services for small businesses. In the first of what Netscape said would be a series of strategic initiatives the Mountain View-based company said it will offer stock valued at $95m for three year old, privately held AtWeb Inc. Based in Sunnyvale, AtWeb will reputedly integrate a further 600,000 web sites into Netscape’s Netcenter when it becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Netscape sometime during the first quarter of next year. Although Netscape claims that its own, existing Small Business Channel has been successful in accumulating 35% of Netcenter’s current members, Mike Homer, general manager of Netcenter division, said the acquisition would bring with it a range of new tools. AtWeb’s !Regiter it! registers subscribers’ own sites with a multitude of search engines and directories. Other products include web site diagnostic and tune up services and direct marketing tools to allow web publishers to communicate with their visitors. á
