Infoseek Corp has spun off its former Corporate Information Division as a new company, NewsReal Inc, which launched its business intelligence channel on the web last week. NewsReal is intended to provide personalized vertical market industry news to business users, and will eventually integrate a series of channels, using news and other business and Web information. It has already licensed its parent company’s Infoseek Ultraseek Server search technology for its Industry Watch news service, and can use the Infoseek brand for a year. It will continue as a content partner for Infoseek which says it will use the service as part of its own business channel service. The CID division was separated from Infoseek in July 1997 under president and chief executive officer David Hoppmann, who completed the management buyout at the end of the year, with financial backing from the Soros Fund Management. It is based in Alexandria, Virginia. Infoseek remains a minority investor.
