Barksdale maps the future at Netscape

In a press and analyst event yesterday to plug Netcenter, Netscape's newhome page, Netscape CEO Jim Barksdale took time to map the future of the company. Not content to rest on its laurels, Netscape is expanding past thelimited Web browser market into intranets, server software, E-mail, and electronic commerce. The company will also move into the professional consulting market now dominated by the likes of Andersen Consulting. Maybethey should call it "Andreessen Consulting."

Speaking of Andreessen, Hardees' favorite customer was seen in public forthe first time in a while, talking up "Javagator," the company's upcoming100% Pure Java Web browser. Andreessen says Netscape is using some codefrom Sun's HotJava Web browser to develop the product, which is expectedearly next year.

Netscape also downplayed the browser wars and Microsoft's integration ofIE 4.0 into the Windows operating system. As for the Apple-Microsoft deal,VP Marty Kagan says that Microsoft is simply "creating a heterogeneous environment" perfect for Netscape software