Wayfarer pushes on

Wayfarer Communications is set to release a new version of its push system software next week.

Installed on an internal network, the Wayfarer 4.0 system culls information from enterprise application databases, intranet and Internet sites, and external news services. It then delivers it to a desktop browser, either Internet Explorer 4.0 or Navigator 4.0.

Users can set their own filters and schedules. Once the user indicates what sources he wants to track, Wayfarer, previously known as Incisa, will deliver only updated information across the network to save bandwidth.

Push has lost much of the buzz that surrounded it early last year, as users complained about slow download times. Once the hype faded, questions about the strain it put on networks, especially within companies, cropped up. That has prompted push companies to highlight their bandwidth-saving features.

Wayfarer has in fact dropped the word "push" altogether, preferring to call its system "active business intelligence," a spokeswoman said.

Wayfarer 4.0 runs on Windows NT Server and Windows 95 and NT clients. Pricing starts at $10,000 for 100 users. Commercial shipment begins by the end of March.