Chasing the Internet

Partly because of its stunning success in PC software, Microsoft was slow to

realize the commercial possibilities of network systems and the Internet. In
1993 it released Windows NT, a landmark program that tied disparate PCs
together and offered improved reliability and network security. Sales were
initially disappointing, but by 1996 Windows NT was being hailed as the likely
standard for PC networking, quickly surpassing Novell’s NetWare in
market share. Microsoft did not move into Internet software until a new
venture, Netscape Communications Corp., had introduced Navigator, a
Web browser program that simplified the once-arcane process of navigating
the World Wide Web. In a violent change of course, Microsoft quickly
developed its own browser, Internet Explorer, made it free, and moved
aggressively to persuade computer makers and Internet service providers to
distribute it exclusively.

Chasing the Internet

Partly because of its stunning success in PC software, Microsoft was slow to
realize the commercial possibilities of network systems and the Internet. In
1993 it released Windows NT, a landmark program that tied disparate PCs
together and offered improved reliability and network security. Sales were
initially disappointing, but by 1996 Windows NT was being hailed as the likely
standard for PC networking, quickly surpassing Novell’s NetWare in
market share. Microsoft did not move into Internet software until a new
venture, Netscape Communications Corp., had introduced Navigator, a
Web browser program that simplified the once-arcane process of navigating
the World Wide Web. In a violent change of course, Microsoft quickly
developed its own browser, Internet Explorer, made it free, and moved
aggressively to persuade computer makers and Internet service providers to
distribute it exclusively.