PointCast Inc, one of the earliest of the Internet push technology companies, has plans to customiZe its PointCast Network screensaver-cum-Web broadcast channel for a number of vertical markets. Generically called CommunityCast Networks, the products will have existing PointCast capabilities plus three to five additional channels for broadcasting industry-specific material. The Cupertino, California-based company, already has versions for the US Federal Government and petroleum industry, called Government Insider and Petroleum Industry Insider respectively, both released last October. It has also just delivered a version this week for IBM Corp’s network and systems management subsidiary Tivoli Systems Inc, called Manage IT, which the unit will use to distribute market-specific news and information to its strategic allies, alongside the regular news headlines normally offered by PointCast Network. According to Brian MacDonell, vice-president of Corporate Sales, PointCast hopes to announce by early June, versions for the healthcare, legal, real estate, and banking, finance and insurance sectors, and in a matter of weeks, it is also going to release PointCast 2.0, a rolling 32-bit beta version for Windows 95 with a new interface. It will not be abandoning its loyal Windows 3.1 following however, and says it will maintain the current, 16-bit version 1.6 but upgrade it for the look and feel of the 32-bit.
