Tool forges new links

A Cincinnati start-up is shipping an easy-to-use software tool for linking dissimilar forms of corporate information in one document.

Digital Infoworks' CyberLinks software can link Web pages, intranet-based data or personal productivity documents on any single Microsoft Object Linking and Embedding (OLE)-based document. Hence, a user could send email with a link to an interesting Web site, for example.

The CyberLinks software works with 16- as well as 32-bit operating systems and supports Windows 3.1, 95, and NT 3.51. The company is positioning the product as a sensible alternative until Microsoft releases the full-blown version of Office 97 next year, which is supposed to include similar technology.

CyberLinks works with Netscape Communications plug-ins, such as Inso's Word viewer or Quick View Plus and ActiveX plug-ins. But the product can work without a Web browser if a user wants only to link other Microsoft Word-based documents, for example. The software only need to support OLE.

CyberLinks works with Netscape's Navigator browser, as well as Microsoft's Internet Explorer.

CyberLinks 1.1 is available now in two editions for users and developers. The User Edition costs $95 and the Developer Edition is priced at $195.