News

Netscape Releases Communicator Enterprise Suite

• By Scott Bekker
• 10/30/1998

Mission Control Desktop 4.5 enhances the enterprise functionality of Netscape Communicator 4.5, which was released last week.

"This release of Netscape Mission Control Desktop together with Netscape Communicator 4.5 enables IT managers to significantly reduce their cost of ownership over their intranet desktop environment," says Bob Lisbonne, senior vice president of client products division, Netscape Communications. "With Mission Control Desktop, IT professionals can preconfigure over 700 preferences and settings, build custom installs of Communicator, centrally manage client configurations, and automatically update desktop applications."

Features of Mission Control Desktop 4.5 include:

• Extensive configuration of Netscape Communicator 4.5 for the enterprise.
IT managers can set or lock client preferences and prevent end users from accidentally changing crucial settings that would result in expensive help desk calls or desktop visits.
• Easier deployment of Netscape Communicator 4.5.
IT professionals can more easily create customized client installers for distribution over their Intranet.
• Central management of Netscape Communicator 4.5.
IT managers can centrally manage their client configurations via an HTTP web server or an LDAP Directory Server.
• Automatic software updates.
IT managers can distribute software to end user desktops using the Netscape SmartUpdate feature of Netscape Communicator 4.5. This features enables IT departments to automatically upgrade all users to the latest version of Netscape Communicator and allows automatic installation and upgrades of other applications in the Communicator environment.

Netscape Communicator 4.5 is an enterprise-ready client with enhancements directed at business users, including Internet messaging and flexible roaming access. This roaming support is beneficial to users of laptops, PDAs and those who use multiple machines, allowing them access to their customized Netscape Communicator information at work, from the road or from home.

Netscape Communicator 4.5 also offers mobile users one-step synchronization of IMAP messages and replication of corporate directories based on LDAP.

Netscape Communicator 4.5 also includes Smart Browsing, a service that helps users find information without having to type whole web addresses. Once at a site, users can click on "Whatís Related" links and view a list of similar web sites.

Netscape Messenger 4.5, the email component of Netscape Communicator, features a customizable, three-pane email interface that gives users a clear view of their mail, news folders and messages. It includes Pinpoint Addressing that helps users find the right email address from multiple address books or a directory. It also includes an import wizard to transfer mail, addresses, and preferences from other email programs, including Microsoft Outlook 97/98, Microsoft Outlook Express, and Eudora mail.

Netscape Communicator 4.5 is available for download via Netscape Netcenter - Netscape's portal site on the Internet. --Brian Ploskina, Assistant Editor