From ClieNT Server News, a sister publication
In a sharp break with its existing business model, Netscape is to divide up Navigator and sell individual components to software vendors. Our sister publication ClieNT Server News reports that the project is part of the Netscape 4.0 ‘Gallileo’ project. Netscape 4.0 will initially appear in monolithic form, but a ‘modularized’ version will appear hard on its heels. Navigator product manager Dan Klaussen told the paper that native components would be available for each of the 16 platforms on which Navigator runs – a pretty mammoth redevelopment effort. He said the modules will be offered in ready-to-use form that drops into various development tools on the range of platforms. Moreover, the company is planning to make the modules native on each platform. So on the Macintosh, for example, Netscape has already committed itself to building an OpenDoc version. On Windows it will probably end up doing OLE-wrapped modules. The major pieces likely to emerge as components include the browser itself, mail, news and threaded discussions. There’s no pricing or accurate timing information available yet. Netscape says that the monolithic 4.0 is on track to be delivered before year-end with the components following soon after. The modularization effort could also help ameloriate Netscape’s perceived ‘bloatware’ problems.
