Netscape Communications has become increasingly popular because of their internet web browser, Netscape Navigator. Its ease of use to navigate the World Wide Web, and its powerful options have made it an extremely popular web tool. Netscape Navigator has created many industry standards, and would have monopolized the web browser market if it were not for Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Microsoft is also providing its web browser for free, and it has some powerful and easy to use features, comparable to Navigator's features. Netscape Communications has also made deals with MasterCard and BankAmerica to provide for secure transactions over the internet.

Netscape was started by Marc Andreesson, and a few other programmers from NCSA, where they had helped to develop a web browser called Mosaic. The group joined with James Clark, founder of Silicon Graphics, and they developed a better web browser under a company name of Mosaic Communications. They were then threatened by the University of Illinois, and had to change their name, since The University had the rights to the name "Mosaic". They then changed their name to Netscape Communications, and joined with Sun Microsystems to integrate their software. Netscape also has joined with other developers to integrate their software, such as Voxware, which creates voice compression programs to talk over the internet.

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