January 31, 1996
MOUNTAIN VIEW, California
Netscape Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: NSCP) today announced Netscape LiveMedia,
a standards-based framework for bringing real-time audio and video to the Netscape open
software platform. As the cornerstone of its new framework, Netscape announced the signing
of a definitive agreement to acquire InSoft, Inc., a leader in network-based
communications and collaborative multimedia software for the enterprise.
InSoft's applications include Communique! for desktop collaboration and
videoconferencing, InSoft Network Television or INTV! for distributed digital video, and
CoolTalk and CoolView for Internet audio, video and data communications on Windows,
Windows95 and UNIX based platforms. Netscape plans to use InSoft's technology to create
the Netscape LiveMedia framework, which it plans to make a standard component in future
Netscape clients, servers and tools. Netscape LiveMedia framework will enable users to
have easier access to new Internet applications such as audio and video on-demand,
real-time video conferencing and Internet telephony.
In addition, eleven technology-leading companies announced plans to support Netscape
LiveMedia, which is based on open standards and interfaces that will enable Netscape and
third-party real-time audio and video products to interoperate. Companies that announced
their support are Progressive Networks, Adobe Systems, Digital Equipment Corp.,
Macromedia, NetSpeak, OnLive!, Precept, Silicon Graphics, Inc., VDOnet, VocalTec and Xing.
The Netscape LiveMedia framework will be based on the Internet Real-time Transport
Protocol (RTP), RFC number 1889, and other open audio and video standards such as MPEG,
H.261 and GSM to enable products from these and other companies to work together
seamlessly, providing users with a range of real-time audio and video capabilities on the
Internet. Netscape will publish the LiveMedia framework on the Internet, openly license
key technology components of it, and work with the Internet standards bodies to facilitate
the adoption of this technology as a formal Internet standard.
"By integrating InSoft's technology within our existing software architectures, we
can extend the Netscape software platform into a foundation for real-time Internet and
Intranet communications," said Jim Barksdale, president and CEO of Netscape.
"Through this agreement with InSoft, Netscape will also gain InSoft's great team of
people who bring best-of-breed expertise in delivering real-time audio/video applications
to the enterprise."
"The Internet is a strategic component of our open, enterprise approach to
collaborative multimedia," said Dan Harple, chairman and CEO of InSoft.
"Real-time multimedia collaboration helps to bring people together across a network,
a goal that both Netscape and InSoft share. Without question, we are extremely excited
about joining the Netscape team and helping to develop the Netscape LiveMedia
framework."
Netscape intends to purchase 100 percent of InSoft, a privately held company, for 1.96
million shares of Netscape stock (adjusted to reflect the Netscape 2-for-1 stock split
which was approved by shareholders on January 23, 1996), to be accounted for as a pooling
of interests. The deal is expected to close on or before March 31, 1996.
InSoft, Inc., located in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, was founded in 1992 by Dan Harple
and Rich Pizzarro to develop and market collaborative multimedia software products for the
expanding desktop workstation market. The company currently employs 71 people. InSoft's
OpenDVE Collaborative Multimedia Framework enables cross-platform collaboration between
PCs and UNIX workstations, transparent connectivity between a wide range of networks, and
interoperability between a range of video offerings.
Netscape plans to integrate InSoft's products in two phases. In the first phase, the
combined companies will develop the LiveMedia framework and continue to promote InSoft's
OpenDVE software architecture and development toolkits; Communique!, INTV!, CoolTalk and
CoolView applications, and the GlobalConference telecommunications gateway. In the second
phase later in 1996, Netscape plans to integrate InSoft's real-time audio and video
capabilities into future versions of Netscape Navigator and Netscape servers. In addition,
Netscape expects that third-party developers will offer a wide variety of add-on audio and
video products based on the LiveMedia framework.
Netscape also announced today that it has signed an agreement with Voxware, Inc., to
license that company's compression/decompression (codec) technology to plug into the
Netscape LiveMedia framework. Codecs from other companies can also be incorporated into
the extensible framework.
Voxware, Inc. is a privately-held developer of advanced voice processing software,
based in Princeton, NJ. Voxware's ToolVox digital voice technology enables high-quality,
real-time voice communication across the Web, while requiring only 2400 bps of bandwidth.
Using the ToolVox cross-platform encoder and player software, developers can compress
voice 53:1; download or stream voice files in real time and add a variety of voice
effects. This combination of compression and quality simplifies adding voices to the Web.
This technology will help to provide widespread, reliable voice delivery to any user with
a Web connection. The incorporation of the Voxware codec in LiveMedia is an example of how
this modular framework can accommodate technologies from various companies.
"We're delighted that our agreement with Netscape will make ToolVox a key
component of the core technology framework for Netscape LiveMedia," said Michael
Goldstein, president and CEO of Voxware. "We look forward to working together to make
real-time voice communications a natural and everyday part of every Web user's
experience."
"Enabling users to communicate and work together from any location -- and in real
time -- extends the Internet's power and reach to a new level," said Marc Andreessen,
vice president of technology at Netscape. "The Netscape LiveMedia framework will make
a number of real-time audio and video applications available to Internet users. InSoft and
Voxware are important to Netscape's strategy to deliver products based on LiveMedia, and
we will work with the technology-leading companies who are supporting this interoperable
approach to make real-time audio and video applications an immediate reality."
Netscape LiveMedia represents a commitment to open Internet-supported protocols and
content definitions that transcend any single vendor, including Netscape. Vendors adopting
the LiveMedia Internet standards will be able to offer products that interoperate with
other LiveMedia compatible products, making it easy for users to take advantage of
real-time audio and video capabilities on the Internet.
Netscape Communications Corporation is a premier provider of open software for linking
people and information over enterprise networks and the Internet. The company offers a
full line of Netscape Navigator clients, Netscape servers, development tools and Netscape
Internet Applications to create a complete platform for next-generation, live online
applications. Traded on NASDAQ under the symbol "NSCP", Netscape Communications
Corporation is based in Mountain View, California.
Additional information on Netscape Communications Corporation is available on the
Internet at http://home.netscape.com, by sending email to info@netscape.com or by calling
415-528-2555. Information on InSoft, Inc. is available on the Internet at
http://www.insoft.com or by calling 717-730-9501. Further information on Voxware is
available at http://www.voxware.com Netscape Communications, the Netscape Communications
logo, Netscape Navigator, Netscape LiveMedia, Netscape and Netscape Internet Applications
are trademarks of Netscape Communications Corporation. All other product names are
trademarks of their respective owners. |
