March 6, 1997 6:15 PM ET
BackWeb's next version will support HTTP
By Michael Fitzgerald

BackWeb Technologies Inc. will next week bring out a new version of its eponymous push broadcast channel, according to sources familiar with the product. The new version, BackWeb 1.2 and slated for release at Internet World, will support HTTP, which means BackWeb transmissions can now go through firewalls, and also means that America Online users can get BackWeb transmissions. The move may help BackWeb gain ground in the crowded market for push technology. "It makes it easier to swallow their product," said Ted Julian, an analyst at International Data Corp., in Framingham, Mass. Julian said that HTTP compliance would make it easier for BackWeb to add content. A source near BackWeb, in San Jose, Calif., said that the new version "gives us access to tons of AOL users, and it means that people can optimize it for corporate usage." Two of its content channels, in particular, need to get through corporate firewalls, namely The Wall Street Journal's Interactive Edition and McAfee Associates Inc.'s Enterprise SecureCast. Copyright(c) 1997 Ziff-Davis Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Ziff-Davis Publishing Company is prohibited. PC Week and the PC Week logo are trademarks of Ziff-Davis Publishing Company. PC Week Online and the PC Week Online logo are trademarks of Ziff-Davis Publishing Company. Send mail to PC Week