Push Shoved Back Into The Limelight
Remember when "push" technology was heralded as the future ofonline content delivery? Well, like disco, push refuses to go
away. Server vendor BackWeb Technologies Inc. is betting that
wireless devices are the perfect venue for pushed content. BackWeb
(BWEB-Nasdaq) is launching what it calls its Universal Push, an
effort to highlight technologies that vendors can use to deliver
content wirelessly. The company has the support of Lucent
Technologies Inc. and Hewlett-Packard.
BackWeb also has released a push application server that will push
information to Internet and wireless devices through Extensible
Markup Language and Corba interfaces. BackWeb acquired its mobile
technology through its buyout of Mobix Communications Ltd. last
month, allowing it to connect to Global System for Mobile
Communications, Code Division Multiple Access, and other networks.
"Push was too early three years ago. Now, we feel the Internet
infrastructure has matured," says Eli Barkat, CEO of BackWeb. Push
application servers for Windows NT and Solaris are slated for
release next month. AIX and Linux versions are scheduled for next
year. Pricing starts at $160,000 per CPU.
Some BackWeb users are already making wireless-push plans.
Jefferies & Company Inc., an institutional broker in Los Angeles,
faxes its customers information on overnight changes in their
portfolios, but intends to move to wireless. "We'd like to push
all that information out to customers well before the [markets]
open and well after the close of the market," says Mike N. Alex,
senior VP and director of E-commerce for Jefferies & Co. "We think
wireless devices [are] probable our best bet."
We welcome your comments on this topic on our social media channels, or
[contact us directly] with questions about the site.
More Insights