Information Agents Retrieve Web Content Automatically for Rapid Offline Browsing
LAS VEGAS — November 18, 1996 — The first personal electronic newspaper for handheld PCs was unveiled today by Roving Software Inc. in conjunction with the Comdex/Fall '96 launch of the Microsoft(R) Windows(R) CE operating system. With Roving Reporter(TM) for Windows CE, anyone owning a handheld PC (HPC) running Windows CE will be able to easily create a personalized newspaper that automatically monitors news, weather, sports, financial data, and any Internet, intranet or LAN-based corporate data.
Roving Reporter is a personal information-delivery agent, providing information from any Internet or intranet resource on a scheduled basis. Users can easily customize what information they would like to monitor, and automatically the handheld PC becomes a pocket-sized repository of information of critical value to be browsed offline.
"Information agents are a solution to the information overload of the Web," said Randy Parker, president and CEO of Roving Software Inc. "Roving Reporter permits us all to have an electronic secretary working around-the- clock to retrieve and filter information on our behalf."
"Roving Reporter allows users of Windows CE to take the Web with them," stated Jon Magill, director of marketing, consumer appliances group at Microsoft. "Roving Reporter is an innovative application that takes advantage of the close connectivity of Windows-based desktop computers and HPCs."
"The problem with the handheld market is that traditionally the units were 'blank slates,' requiring extensive data input from the user in order to gain any real productivity," said Parker. "Our innovations, coupled with the Microsoft Pocket Internet Explorer browser, permit users to have a powerful, personalized information resource in their hands at all times. Roving Reporter becomes your pocket personal news agent."
How It Works
The user first selects which news features or Internet documents they would like to include, using the simple drag-and-drop features of the Roving Newsroom utility on the user's desktop PC. Multiple newspapers may be created and scheduled for automatic update at different times. The desired items of information are then automatically retrieved to the desktop in the background over any Internet connection without user intervention.
When the user connects their handheld PC to their desktop (usually via a docking cradle or via a wireless infrared connection), the handheld is automatically synchronized to contain the most recent information. The newspaper can be conveniently viewed using the Pocket Internet Explorer browser built-in to every Windows CE-based handheld, or on the desktop using the user's existing Web browser.
Individual and Corporate Users
The product is targeted for individual use, as well as corporate deployment in information-driven application areas such as sales force automation and financial services.
For example, a sales force outfitted with the product could track competitors' pricing and product data, as well as news items about key customers and industries. These mobile workers would be assured of having the latest marketing and technical documents for their own products as well, retrieved from their intranet and available for offline reference.
Advantages of Roving Reporter
Information Agents (Reporters): An initial set of information agents (known as "reporters") is predefined and ready for immediate use. These reporters represent the most commonly accessed information resources and can be fully customized.
Newspaper Metaphor is Intuitive to Consumers: As new users join the Internet by the millions, they will demand liberation from Internet arcana like URLs, protocols, and error messages like '404 File not found'. Roving Reporter simplifies the Internet with an attractive, comfortable metaphor for automatic information delivery.
Automatic Monitoring and Delivery: "Browsing for your news on the Web right now is like walking across town to pick up a newspaper," stated Parker. "With Roving Reporter, your personal news selections are waiting on your desktop and handheld first thing in the morning. And during the day, Roving Reporter gets you the latest information automatically in the background, without any loss of productivity."
Unlimited Content Choices: Any information available on the Internet or corporate Intranet can be included in the user's newspaper. Other personal news products restrict the user to a small set of predefined choices.
Powerful Agent Engine Underneath
Underlying Roving Reporter's simple interface and attractive layout is a powerful engine combining sophisticated information-retrieval techniques and object-oriented information agent technology. This technology will serve as the underpinning for additional products to be unveiled in the coming months.
Availability and Requirements
The first release of Roving Reporter for Windows CE is in private user beta-testing, and will be publicly available next month via download from the company's Web site at http://www.roving.com.
The product will initially be available for Windows CE-based machines connected to a Windows 95-based desktop computer with a Winsock-compliant Internet connection (either dial-up or direct LAN connection).
Company Background
Privately-held, the Brookline, Mass.-based company was founded in 1995 to commercialize information-retrieval software agent technology, making it accessible to end-users of the Internet and intranets. Its principals include veterans of the mobile computing industry, with backgrounds in user interface design and artificial intelligence.
NOTE: Roving Reporter, Roving Software and "Your Pocket Personal News Agent" are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Roving Software Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
For more information: Visit the Roving Newsroom at http://www.roving.com/info.htm
SOURCE: Roving Software Inc.
CONTACT:
Randy Parker of Roving Software, 617-566-2451 or [email protected]