December 13, 1996 2:15 PM ET

Netscape's CEO looks ahead to Communicator and SuiteSpot 3.0
By Michael Moeller

NEW YORK -- James Barksdale, CEO of Netscape Communications Corp., closed out Internet World today with the final keynote in which he discussed the evolution of the Internet as well as forthcoming client and server products. Saying the impact of open Internet standards will have a profound effect on E-mail and groupware in 1997, Barksdale highlighted the new functions to be rolled out in Netscape's forthcoming Communicator and SuiteSpot 3.0 line of server software. In addition, Barksdale highlighted the Mountain View, Calif., company's new SuiteTools' offering, a repackaged collection of Internet application development tools introduced here on Wednesday. Some of the key features of the next-generation Communicator client highlighted in the keynote included messaging, threaded discussion group and collaboration capabilities, and the role of directory services. On the server side, Barksdale pointed to companion products designed to foster an integrated, collaborative computing environment. Among the new capabilities to be included in SuiteSpot 3.0 are a next-generation messaging server, a Collabra server for groupware and the next generation of its core Enterprise server. Both Communicator and SuiteSpot 3.0 are due early next year. Copyright(c) 1996 Ziff-Davis Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Ziff-Davis Publishing Company is prohibited. PC Week and the PC Week logo are trademarks of Ziff-Davis Publishing Company. PC Week Online and the PC Week Online logo are trademarks of Ziff-Davis Publishing Company. Send mail to PC Week