Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 10:42:50 -0800 From: wbarr@leland.stanford.edu (William P. Barr) To: apple-internet-providers@medraut.apple.com Subject: Netscape & future developments Message-ID: <v01510101ab41b9ba4234@[36.8.0.140]>

Hello All,

I just attended a talk given by Marc Andreessen, co-founder of Netscape, and he had several interesting things to say that you all might be interested in.

First off, Netscape plans to make the API to it's browser available to 3rd party developers in the near future. With a list of over 1300 things users want added to the browser, he believes that other developers will be much more effective at filling the demand. Could this move spawn the "Visual Basic" of the internet? Perhaps ...

Second, Netscape has formed some key partnerships. Most notably, DEC and Sun will be redistributing Netscape server software through its channels. It has also created an alliance with Bank Of America and Mastercard for secured cash transactions. Netscape is also providing all the servers for MCI's www services.

Third, he said that by the end of this year, secured transactions will no longer be rare. Currently the model of a transaction is:

Customer ---> Merchant ---> Card Issuer

The new model will be:

Customer ---> Card Issuer ---> Merchant

This new model requires that you only have to trust your card issuer and the communications link from your machine to theirs. The Card Issuer will then verify the credit and notify the merchant of the validity of the purchase. There are two major ramifications: First, you no longer have to worry about the integrity of the merchant; second, this will allow card issuers to change the rules for giving merchant status to businesses. Marc predicted that by the end of the year, getting merchant status from several major card issuing banks will greatly simiplified, allowing dozens of businesses/services to spring up on the net, almost overnight.

Finally, he said that the company is in the process of settling on a distributor to get the browser into the retail store-fronts.

If you have any more questions, just ask.

Bill

********************************************* *William P. Barr (415) 723-6632 (work)* *Multimedia Coordinator (415) 725-7398 (fax) * *Stanford Computer Forum * *ERL 448/450 wbarr@cs.stanford.edu (business)* *Stanford, CA, 94305-4055 wbarr@leland.stanford.edu (leisure)* *USA "My opinion is mine and only mine* *********************************************

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