▁( RT SP ) ▁standard . ▁ ▁Online ▁customer ▁network ▁In So ft ▁was ▁noted ▁for ▁taking ▁the ▁lead ▁in ▁establish ing ▁online ▁communities ▁for ▁customers . ▁It ▁created ▁a ▁web - based ▁forum ▁during ▁its ▁fir sl ▁year ▁of ▁operation ▁with ▁the ▁intention ▁of ▁using ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁source ▁of ▁new ▁ideas ▁that ▁would ▁lead ▁to ▁new ▁product ▁development . ▁The ▁company ▁asked ▁its ▁customers ▁to ▁tell ▁them ▁what ▁new ▁product ▁features ▁were ▁needed , ▁leading ▁to ▁speed y ▁development ▁of ▁new ▁product ▁versions . ▁Although ▁the ▁final ▁products ▁were ▁sold ▁primarily ▁through ▁stores , ▁the ▁company ▁let ▁potential ▁customers ▁download ▁test ▁versions ▁for ▁review ▁and ▁comment . ▁In So ft ▁assigned ▁a ▁manager ▁specifically ▁to ▁categor ize ▁and ▁channel ▁customer ▁ideas ▁and ▁suggestions ▁product ▁development ▁team , ▁and ▁then ▁post ▁the ▁responses ▁of ▁the ▁team ▁to ▁the ▁customer ▁community ▁web ▁site . ▁Let ting ▁In So ft ▁customers ▁act ively ▁contribute ▁to ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁new ▁product ▁versions ▁also ▁helped ▁increase ▁the ▁firm ' s ▁visibility ▁among ▁potential ▁customers ▁in ▁high ▁technology ▁mark ets . ▁ ▁S ale ▁to ▁N ets cape ▁In So ft ▁merged ▁with ▁N ets cape ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁for ▁a ▁value ▁of ▁$ 1 6 1 ▁million . ▁Technology ▁acquired ▁by ▁N ets cape ▁from ▁In soft ▁included ▁Comm unique ▁for ▁desktop ▁collaboration ▁and ▁video con fer encing , ▁In So ft ▁Network ▁Television ▁for ▁distributed ▁digital ▁video , ▁and ▁C ool T alk ▁and ▁C ool View ▁for ▁Internet ▁audio ,