Browser Wars

6. As an executive of Netscape, what would you recommend with respect to the proposed offering price? As an investor in Netscape, what would you recommend? AS a manager of an institutional fund who is willing to buy and hold Netscape’s stock at the originally proposed price of $14 per share, would you be willing to buy and hold at an initial offer price of $28.

The name was later changed to Netscape Communications Corporation when the University of Illinois (which owned the trademark on the name Mosaic) threatened legal action. Netscape can be considered an advocate for the dot com era. They were not the first internet start-up, but they were the only one that mattered. Netscape produced Netscape Navigator which went on to become its first widely popular internet application. Netscape Navigator became really popular after the launch of the World Wide Web. Netscape Navigator introduced millions to the web. SSL, Java, JavaScript, open APIs and support for online media were innovations that Netscape Navigator made relevant. The next best thing of Netscape was the Netscape IPO. It helped launch the internet era that we are currently living in. It is thought that Netscape was born in Silicon Valley, but actually it was in Champaign Urbana, Illinois at the University of Illinois. It all started with a bunch of young programmers and software developers hanging out in a basement. The group was called the software development group. These programmers and software developers were working for barely above minimum wage at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA). Aleks Totic and Jon Mittelhauser were a part of the group. Totic went on to develop Mac versions of both Mosaic and Netscape Navigator and Mittelhauser went on to develop the Windows

According to the Department of Justice, Microsoft used its resources and technology to drive other companies out of business, thereby eliminating the competition and creating a monopoly. Without competition, Microsoft was able to set prices and consumer conditions in a way that exceedingly benefited the company while ensuring a decreased amount of new competition because of the proprietary software installed in most PCs. (Competitive Processes, Anticompetitive Practices and Consumer Harm in the Software

On July 15, 1994, the United States sued Microsoft for unlawfully maintaining its monopoly in the market for PC operating system software. The lawsuit alleged that Microsoft engaged in anti-competitive marketing practices directed at PC manufacturers that distributed Microsoft operating system software preinstalled on its PCs. Microsoft began to levy fines against original equipment manufacturing (OEM) companies who distributed or promoted operating systems other than Microsoft. On August 21, 1995, Microsoft "consented" to a "Final Judgement" against them.

A recurring point in Gilbert's studies included the notion that people were utterly incapable of making predictions that would lead to their actual optimal happiness. A study showed "that about nine out of ten people expect to feel more regret when they foolishly switch stocks than when they foolishly fail to switch stocks", but the study also showed that those "nine out of ten people are wrong" in assuming that expectation (Gilbert 135). A majority of consumers also made an incorrect assumption, as described by Stiglitz, which resulted in the maintenance and growth of one of the most well known monopolies of the present. The consumers assumed that, due to it's "near-monopoly on PC operating systems," Microsoft was a good and innovative company and is capable in handling computer systems. This was not the case when it came to "alternative technologies" such as the "development of the Internet and the web browser" because their competitor, Netscape, was "building on government-funded research" while Microsoft had no such incentive (Stiglitz 405). Microsoft then decided to launch their Internet Explorer, but by itself Internet Explorer could not compete against Netscape. They knew this, and so "decided to use its monopoly power in PC operating systems to make sure that the playing field was not level." They offered Internet Explorer for

No matter who wins, the case almost certainly will be appealed, probably all the way to the Supreme Court. If the government wins at the trial court, it has already specified that it wants Microsoft to cancel contracts deemed exclusionary. In addition, the government wants Microsoft either to strip out its Internet browsing technology from Windows 98 or to include a rival browser made by Netscape Communications Corp. The government also indicated in October that, should it win, it would seek an additional hearing where it would suggest additional sanctions that should be placed

In order for Microsoft to be able to reach the goals set by Bill Gates, they must use their considerable resources efficiently to create a place in each market for the online consumer. If they wish to produce and offer online services such as electronic mail, information data bases, personal finance management, video on demand, and electronic commerce, then acquiring firms already specialized in at least some of these areas is the most efficient way to do so. Intuit’s products align with Microsoft’s without significant overlap such that the combined firms would provide a handsome horizontally integrated suite of products with prime market share positions including word processing (49% market share), spreadsheet (48% market share), tax preparation, accounting, banking, and bill paying which would all open up the prospect of continued online grazing by the user leading to repeat sales to Microsoft’s video on demand and future entertainment market. The larger objective would be to capture the user in a web to conduct direct financial transactions over the

Microsoft announced to integrate the internet technologies on Windows 95 and Office 97 giving an impetus to the sales of these products and a portion of these revenues should be deferred into the future.

“All of these qualities were evident in Gates’s nimble response to the sudden public interest in the Internet. Beginning in 1995 and 1996, Gates feverishly refocused Microsoft on the development of consumer and enterprise software solutions for the Internet, developed the Windows CE operating system platform for networking non computer devices such as home televisions and personal digital assistants, created the Microsoft Network to compete with America Online and other Internet providers, and through Gates’s company Corbis, acquired the huge Bett mann photo archives and other collections for use in electronic distribution.

Commencing in 1990, Microsoft was investigated and then charged with violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act which governs United States businesses. The company was determined to be a monopoly, and one which used anti-competitive practices to keep its leading edge on the market. As would most any organization on the receiving end of the allegations, Microsoft did not agree with the charges and sought to defend its business

The case against Microsoft was brought buy the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as several state Attorneys General. Microsoft is accused of using and maintaining monopoly power to gain an unfair advantage in the market. The case has been under observation for a long time, but the Justice department is having trouble coming up with substantial evidence against Microsoft. Specifically, the Department must prove:That Microsoft has monopoly power and is using it to gain unfair leverage in the market.And that Microsoft has maintained this monopoly power through "exclusionary" or "predatory" acts(Rule).Some say that Microsoft is only taking advantage of its position in the market and using innovative marketing strategies

had to buy, Microsoft also would sing contracts with the vendors for long periods of time

Microsoft (MS) is a multinational computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of software products for computing devices. In the mid 1990’s, Microsoft held the monopoly in the production of Operating Systems (OS) for personal computers (PC). When their monopoly was threatened by Netscape, MS began bundling the Internet Explorer (IE) web browser with Windows, using cross-promotional deals with internet service providers (ISP), and prevented PC makers from customizing the opening screen showing Microsoft. These actions, which some view as illegal and unethical, dissolved any competition, raised the barriers of entry and inhibited

It all started with the development of a graphical software program that gave rise to the notion of "surfing" (Netscape 's). Netscape Communications can trace its roots to a group of science students working at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who turned a simply software program called 'Mosaic ', into a platform that enabled non-technical computer users to access and retrieve information that was becoming more and more available on the worldwide web. Founded in 1994, Netscape Communications Corporation provides a comprehensive line of client, server and integrated applications software for communications and commerce on the Internet and private Internet Protocol (IP) networks (Netscape 's). A key feature that the company

As Microsoft and the software industry grew, the computer hardware manufacturers no longer saw the opportunity to exploit Bill Gates= company, as they had done initially with BASIC, one of the first programs Microsoft