Netscape Appoints Oracle Executive

Netscape Communications Corp. said it tapped Oracle Corp. executive Barry Ariko as its chief operating officer, effective next Monday, the latest move in the company’s effort to redefine itself as a leading software company. Ariko, 52, will be responsible for worldwide sales of Netscape’s enterprise software products, which are designed to help companies do business over the Internet, as well as training and strategic partnerships. He will report directly to CEO and President Jim Barksdale and serve on the executive committee. Enterprise software, called the plumbing behind electronic commerce, is one of the fastest-growing segments of the software market. It is projected to generate $10 billion in revenue in 1998 and triple that by 2001, Netscape said. Ariko has been credited for much of Oracle’s sharp sales growth during the last few years. Ariko’s appointment is the latest in a series of moves Netscape has made over the past year to respond to the downturn in its browser business.