AOL Ends Support for Netscape Browser

Once the undisputed most important piece of Internet software, AOL has announced it will no longer support the Netscape browser.

Although very, very few people are using it anymore, there was a time early in the popularization of the Internet when the Web was absolutely dominated by the Netscape browser. So much so that many people didn’t speak of looking at something “on the Internet,” they spoke of looking at something “on Netscape.” It was the kind of name recognition and branding technology companies only dream about today…and, of course, it eventually captured the attention of industry titans like Microsoft, who—through OEM deals, manipulation and neglect of standards processes, and monopolistic abuse of its position in the operating system market—drove Netscape into the ground. Netscape—the company, brand, and browser—were eventually purchased by AOL for some $4.2 billion back in 1998; now, almost ten years later, AOL has announced it will altogether cease support for the Netscape browser as of February 1, 2008.

“AOL’s focus on transitioning to an ad-supported web business leaves little room for the size of investment needed to get the Netscape browser to a point many of its fans expect it to be,” said Netscape lead developer Tom Drapeau in the Netscape blog. “Given AOL’s current business focus and the success the Mozilla Foundation has had in developing critically-acclaimed products, we feel it’s the right time to end development of Netscape branded browsers, hand the reins fully to Mozilla and encourage Netscape users to adopt Firefox.”

Although the Netscape browser might be dead, some of its legacy lives on in the Mozilla.org project and the Firefox browser, which has established itself as a credible, free alternative to Internet Explorer. The Mozilla open source project was born out of the Netscape code base around the time that AOL was in the process of acquiring the company; although it took a while to pick up speed, Firefox has gained a solid developer and user community. AOL is encouraging remaining Netscape browser users to transition to Firefox.

According to recent usage statistics, Internet Explorer accounts for about three quarters of the worldwide browser market, with Firefox the number-two browser at a 15 to 18 percent share. The Netscape browser has generally accounted for less than one percent of browsers in use in the last few years; it used to account for more than 9 out of 10 of every Web browser in use.