Netscape Says "No Thanks" To CDF
(6/5/97; 9:30 p.m. EDT)
By Malcolm Maclachlan , TechWire
REDMOND, Wash.-Apparently Microsoft believes in CDF so
much it is willing to give it to Netscape Communications for free.
Microsoft has proposed "enhancements" to CDF which will give
"CDF functionality" to Netcaster-without Netscape making any
changes in it's Netcaster client.
CDF, or channel definition format, is Microsoft's protocol for push
technology designed to deliver Web content to users. CDF is the
basis of Microsoft's webcasting capabilities built into it's upcoming
Internet Explorer 4.0 browser. Netscape's competing Netcaster
software, due out later in the next few months, does not use CDF.
"The great news for the 'push' industry is that channel publishers
can now author once and run anywhere, degrading gracefully within
the basic webcrawl functionality in Netcaster, or scaling up to the
advanced push capabilities in Internet Explorer 4.0," Microsoft said
in a statement late Wednesday.
"Now Microsoft and Netscape don't have to compete on the channel
definition format standard, but more importantly, can focus on
implementation," the statement said. Microsoft has submitted CDF to
the World Wide Web Consortium, hoping to make it a standard.
However, according to Netscape's director of client applications
Mike Po, CDF addresses a nonexistent need.
"The fact is what they're pressing for with CDF is nothing more
than what we already have," he said. "We do the same thing using
Java, JavaScript and HTML. No one is beating down our doors to
support CDF. Why don't they support Java, JavaScript and HTML?"
Po added that push technology remains in its infancy. When a push
standard naturally emerges from the market, Netscape will support
it, he said.
He also questioned the sincerity behind the offer, noting that
Netscape only heard of the offer from TechWeb and Cnet.
"It's very interesting to receive word of this effort from the press,"
Po said. "You would think they would have called us." |
