20 TIBCO, 3Com "Push" for Greater Network Performance

Is push technology in your bank's future? Push technology provides the ability to send highly targeted information to individuals over corporate intranets or the Internet. Although to much of the world push technology is hot and new, the financial services industry has used it on the trading room floor for years, sending the latest price changes as they came over the wire to concerned traders. It just wasn't called push.

An alliance of San Diego-based TIBCO, a pioneer in targeted data distribution, and Santa Clara, CA-based 3Com, a leading network infrastructure company, promises to improve the performance of push technology over the network, which otherwise could become swamped. Specifically, the alliance will integrate TIBCO's TIB technology with 3Com's DynamicAccess software. If successful, the result should be systems and networks that can intelligently filter information for users and send them only what they need. Banks could use the new and improved push technology, for example, to distribute interest rate changes to branches, or send flash investment alerts to customers. Tower Group senior analyst Lawrence Tabb has a decidedly matter-of-fact view: "This is mainly a horizontal play for both companies. It will move push beyond the trading room." A.Radding