Netscape

Netscape Communications Corporation, commonly known as Netscape, was an American technology company founded in 1994 by Jim Clark and Marc Andreessen. It rose to prominence with Netscape Navigator, one of the first widely used web browsers, which helped popularize the World Wide Web. The company originated as Mosaic Communications Corporation, formed to commercialize the Mosaic browser; it renamed Netscape Communications in 1995 after license concerns with the University of Illinois.

Netscape Navigator released in 1994–95 became the leading browser during the early web era, establishing the browser wars with Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. In 1995 the company also introduced JavaScript, a lightweight scripting language created by Brendan Eich, which later became a fundamental technology for web development.

In 1997 Netscape introduced Netscape Communicator, a suite combining Navigator with email and editing tools. In 1998 the company initiated the Mozilla project, releasing much of Netscape’s code as open source to foster an independent browser ecosystem; this project eventually led to the Mozilla Foundation and products such as Firefox and Thunderbird.

In 1999 Netscape was acquired by AOL for about $4.2 billion. The Netscape brand continued for a time as part of AOL’s lineup, with later browser development waning; Netscape 9, released in 2007, was among the last major releases. AOL largely ceased active development by 2008, and the Netscape brand was gradually retired, while the Mozilla project and Firefox continued to shape browser development.

Netscape's legacy includes popularizing the web browser market, advancing client-side scripting with JavaScript, and spawning an influential open-source movement that shaped modern browsers.