11/24 17:08 Netscape to Acquire Kiva Software
Acquisition Positions Netscape to Become a Leading Provider Of
Enterprise Application Server Software For Intranets, Extranets and The
Internet
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. Nov. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Netscape Communications Corporation (Nasdaq: NSCP) today
announced it plans to acquire Kiva Software Corporation. The deal will make Netscape a leading provider of application
server software for enterprise-class Intranet, Extranet and Internet applications. Upon completion of the transaction, Netscape
plans to offer Kiva's application server software to Netscape customers developing and deploying business-critical applications
that reach beyond the company to include partners, customers and suppliers. Netscape plans to sell Kiva's leading line of
server software through Netscape's direct and indirect sales channels worldwide.
Founded in 1995, Mountain View, California-based Kiva Software is a privately held company with more than 100 employees.
With the acquisition, Netscape intends to issue approximately 6.3 million shares of Netscape stock, subject to adjustment, to
purchase 100 percent of Kiva stock and options and anticipates that the acquisition will be accounted for as a pooling of
interests. Netscape expects the transaction will close in the fourth quarter of 1997, subject to customary approvals. Netscape
plans to fold Kiva into Netscape's server products division headed by senior vice president and general manager John M. Paul.
"Netscape's acquisition of Kiva provides an important strategic technology for linking people and businesses together through
Intranets, Extranets and the Internet," said Jim Barksdale, president and chief executive officer at Netscape. "Building on our
success selling Intranet solutions, Netscape plans to become the leading provider of enterprise-class application server
software so customers can extend their corporate Intranet applications out to customers, suppliers, distributors, and partners
via Extranets and realize additional business advantages."
"Kiva's mission is to enable Global 2000 companies to pursue new business opportunities by extending their enterprise
software applications out to the Internet," said Keng Lim, president and chief executive officer of Kiva. "As part of Netscape,
we intend to fully realize that mission by delivering, through Netscape's worldwide sales channels, the industry's fastest and
most scalable enterprise application server to businesses around the globe."
Major customers in the telecommunications, financial services and electronic commerce markets are already using a
combination of Netscape SuiteSpot server software and Kiva software to deliver a real business advantage. Companies
including E-Trade, Travelocity, Internet Shopping Network, Hong Kong Telecom and Pacific Bell Internet are using Netscape
SuiteSpot and Kiva's application server software to develop and deploy business-critical Intranet and Extranet applications.
Together, Netscape and Kiva are enabling companies to differentiate their products and services, strengthen customer
relationships, speed time to market, save money and expand business opportunities.
Last week, Kiva won PCWeek's Best of Comdex award for "Best Internet Software" at Comdex '97, the leading computer
industry trade show. Kiva was also recently selected by the Red Herring, Computerworld and Data Communications as one
of the industry's top privately held technology companies. Kiva's resources together with Netscape's significant resources in
the server products division strongly position Netscape to lead the application server market. Netscape's acquisition of Kiva
will add leading application server software to Netscape(R) ONE, Netscape's platform for building, deploying and managing
next generation Intranet, Extranet and Internet applications.
Kiva's application server software complements Netscape's leading line of Web server software and will enable Netscape to
provide customers with a range of products for Web-based applications that scale from the workgroup to the extended
enterprise. Netscape Enterprise Server is an industrial-strength Web server that enables the development and deployment of
collaborative workgroup applications that combine content, messaging and database access. Kiva's enterprise application
server software provides a fundamental infrastructure for Global 2000 companies, systems integrators and value-added
resellers implementing business-critical Intranet, Extranet and Internet applications where performance, scalability, availability
and rapid deployment are critical to achieving business objectives.
Kiva's application server version 1.5 is available today from Kiva. Pricing for the product is US $35,000 per processor on
UNIX and US $25,000 per processor on Windows NT. Kiva's application server 2.0 is scheduled for availability in December
1997. Upon closing of the acquisition, the products are expected to be available through Netscape's sales channels.
Netscape Communications Corporation is a premier provider of open software for linking people and information over
enterprise networks and the Internet. The company offers a full line of clients, servers, development tools and commercial
applications to create a complete platform for next-generation, live online applications. Traded on Nasdaq under the symbol
"NSCP," Netscape Communications Corporation is based in Mountain View, California.
NOTE: Netscape, Netscape Navigator, Netscape ONE and the Netscape N and ships wheel logo are registered trademarks
of Netscape Communications Corporation which is registered in the United States and other jurisdictions. Netscape product
names are trademarks of Netscape Communications Corporation which may be registered in some jurisdictions. Additional
information on Netscape Communications Corporation is available on the Internet at home.netscape.com or by sending
email to moreinfo@netscape.com. Corporate customers can call 415-937-2555 while consumers can call 415-937-3777 for
more information. |
