A news wire for your Web site

A new Internet service has opened the door to quick and easy news feeds that can be added to any standard HTML Web site. Web site managers can set up a news feed in a few minutes at http://www.metacentric.net/ and try the service for 30 days to discover the benefits for themselves.

Metacentric managing director Philip Shaw said: "Many people visit a Web site once and never return. A news feed is a great way to keep in touch with the people that are genuinely interested in your site and bring them back for more."

Most people do not have time to visit a Web site day after day to check whether new items, products, events or service information have been added. Internet news feeds work like a Reuters news wire for your Web site, they notify subscribers when new items are published without having to visit the site. Each news item includes summary text and a link back to the Web site to read the "full story".

Philip Shaw said: "People are increasingly wary of giving up their email address for Web site notification. News feeds protect your privacy and security because they use the Web, not email."

Internet news feed readers are built in to many Web browsers and email programs. They check news feeds while you are looking at other Web sites or reading your email and alert you to new items. News feeds use a plain text format, so cannot carry the viruses and worms that have made people so suspicious of email notification.

Philip Shaw said: "We have gone to great lengths to make our news feed service easy to use and keep jargon to a minimum. The service does not require any software, scripts or databases to be installed on the customer's Web server. We deliver the service for them and provide personal support."

Amazon, the BBC and other major Internet services have been providing news feeds for some time, and interest in this technology is growing as people find news feeds a timely way to deal with information overload.

Philip Shaw added: "The latest version of Microsoft Internet Explorer is widely expected to feature a feed reader when it is released this summer, which will really bring Internet news feeds into the mainstream."

Notes for editors

Metacentric Internet Limited is a British company based in Norwich, England. A media kit with high resolution graphics, illustrations, screen shots and further background information is available at http://www.metacentric.net/about/MediaKit.jsp

News feed technology has been adopted by commercial Internet services like Amazon and PC World, and traditional news publishers like the BBC and Reuters. Feed readers are built in to many Web browsers and email programs, including the forthcoming version of Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Feed readers check news feeds while you are looking at other Web sites or reading your email and alert you to new items. News feeds use a plain text format, so cannot carry the viruses and worms that have made people so suspicious of email notification. Each news item includes summary text and a link back to the Web site to read the "full story".

Please contact Philip Shaw for further questions and quotes on 01603 506486 (UK) or +44 1603 506486 (International). Email philip.shaw@metacentric.net