New Version Of Communicator Gives Users Enhanced Net Searching, Music Options

EDP Weekly's IT Monitor, Oct 4, 1999

Influence Of Netscape Parent AOL Shows In New Version With Addition Of 'Instant Messenger'

Netscape Communications, now a subsidiary of America Online Inc., last week unveiled Communicator 4.7, the latest version of its Internet browser and email software. Available for download free or on a CD via Netscape Netcenter, Netscape says Communicator 4.7 enhances the consumer online experience by offering an integrated Shop@Netscape button designed to give users easy one-click access to Netscape's consumer shopping site.

Communicator 4.7 also speeds up Internet searching by allowing users to enter new Internet Keywords such as "NFL" into the Navigator browser location bar. The new browser also offers next-generation music and multimedia features such as Netscape Radio, which rebroadcasts Spinner content, Winamp 2.5 and Flash Player 4.0., and comes with AOL's popular Instant Messaging tool.

"By providing seamless integration with services such as Shop@Netscape, Internet Keywords and Netscape Radio, Netscape Communicator 4.7 enables users to find what they want on the Web faster and easier," says Jim Martin, senior vice president and general manager of Netcenter. "Netscape is making the Internet experience richer and more enjoyable."

With Shop@Netscape easily accessible via an integrated shopping button, users are one click away from 17 Commerce Centers and over 45 shopping categories. Shop@Netscape also includes daily programming and specials, links to what's happening in Netscape/Netcenter, and seasonal catalogs that organize products by theme. Shop@Netscape is part of AOL's new "Shop@AOL" online shopping destination.

Navigator 4.7's new Internet Keywords feature makes finding information faster and easier by enabling consumers to search the Web, shop, look up a stock quote, or ask a question by using simple words and phrases right from the browser URL location field. For example, by simply typing the word "search," a space and a term such as "NFL," Netscape Search (see EDP Weekly - IT Monitor, Sept. 27, pg. 6) will deliver a list of football sites and categories.

With the new "shop" keyword, users simply type in "shop" and the item they are interested in (for example, "shop shoes") and Netscape Internet Keywords will return the most relevant sites related to the item.

"Quote AOL" delivers up-to-the-minute stock quotes for the leader in interactive services, while Netscape Radio rebroadcasts Spinner content and provides consumers with an endless stream of music. It also provides links to artists and music groups through Netscape Music, which offers information on more than 51,000 performers, 125,000 albums and more than one million songs, as well as industry information across a multitude of music genres, album news, reviews, charts, Internet events and a variety of e-commerce opportunities. Netscape Radio can be accessed directly from the Communicator menu.

The new Winamp 2.5 feature adds music player technology to Netscape Communicator. Winamp includes an audio equalizer, song playlist, audio visualization, audio effects and many other customization features. Winamp is the leading high-fidelity music player for Windows, reaching more downloadable music listeners than other downloadable music players. It supports many music formats, including MP3, MP2, CD audio, WMA, Mjuice, MOD and others.

Flash Player 4.0 from Macromedia is also newly available in Communicator 4.7 and includes integrated support for high-fidelity streaming audio which lets users experience enhanced animation and entertainment in the Web browser. Netscape also added AOL's popular Instant Messenger 3.0 software to Communicator. To download the new browser visit http://home.netscape.com.