ALMI news out today. Very exciting.
Tuesday March 23, 7:30 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
AlphaServ.com Files for Patent On Internet Language Which Creates Intelligent Agents
First Use of Network Query Language (NQL) to Create Non-Biased Intelligent Shopping Bot
SANTA ANA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 23, 1999-- AlphaCONNECT®, a division of Alpha Microsystems (Nasdaq:ALMI - news), now doing business as AlphaServ.com(SM), has filed for a patent -- its third patent application -- on a software programming language, Network Query Language (NQL(tm)).
The technology is designed to enable software and Internet developers to more efficiently create applications that manage information across the Internet and corporate networks. NQL has provided AlphaServ.com software developers the tools to build what the company believes will be the first 'non-biased' intelligent shopping bot to serve today's millions of business and consumer shoppers, who will purchase nearly $900 billion in goods and services via the Internet by 2003, according to an estimate by International Data Corporation (IDC), a leading analyst firm.
According to AlphaServ.com vice president of marketing Denny Michael, 'non-biased' intelligent shopping bots will significantly enhance Internet usability by allowing individual shoppers to simply leave a standing list of items they wish to locate by preferred vendor, model and style. A timetable is established for locating the items along with the method of notification, i.e., email, pager or pop-up alert, then the shopping bot does the work, maintaining close watch on the thousands of new items that are posted on the Internet daily. Michael says that Internet shoppers will gain tremendous value from a smart assistant, which is not biased in content relationship or by other third parties.
''This particular patent represents the culmination of years of work developing cutting edge technologies for the exciting next phase of the Internet,'' commented AlphaServ.com chairman, chief executive officer and president, Douglas J. Tullio. ''Analysts call 1999 the beginning of a new Internet era. Companies are now executing new business models to move beyond just having a presence on the World Wide Web and to take advantage of the myriad of opportunities in this new economy.
NQL, a powerful demonstration of our technology, is critical to the proof point positioning of AlphaCONNECT as a key facilitator in the rapid progression of the new Internet era. Additionally, AlphaCONNECT is building a Web content server network in anticipation of future NQL-based Internet applications, which will support far more than consumer shopping activities.''
NQL was designed with the same objectives as Structured Query Language (SQL), a standard language used to interrogate and process data in a relational database. It provides software developers a scripting tool to easily create applications that implement the multiple capabilities of AlphaCONNECT: acquire, analyze, filter, convert and deliver data across the Internet and corporate networks.
Internet software developers using NQL will benefit from its ability to provide a single, common language for building and creating ''intelligent software agents'' that accomplish specific tasks assigned by their users for communicating with various computing systems over networks, especially the Internet.
''AlphaCONNECT has been developing Web-enabled intelligent agents for years,'' said Michael. ''The Web has become a transactional medium. Users -- consumers and businesses alike -- are beginning to rely on transparent technologies, such as intelligent agents, to broker for products, services and information on their behalf. Termed infomediaries, these technologies, whether in the form of Internet services or computer applications, are greatly enhanced by the capabilities of AlphaCONNECT. The market is ready for our intelligent agent technologies, and NQL is a platform for industry standardization,'' Michael added.
AlphaCONNECT plans to market NQL to the software and Web development communities on a licensing basis. The division intends to continue developing its own Internet-based applications utilizing NQL.
Examples of potential NQL-inspired applications include: shopping comparison agents; auction bidding brokers; research assistants; alert systems notifying consumers or businesses of new products and new prices on the Web; business-to-business intelligent commerce systems; reservation scheduling assistants; and information acquisition, filtering and conversion engines such AlphaCONNECT's StockVue® 99 product. According to Michael, NQL-driven infomediaries offer new opportunities for marketers looking to leverage the functionality of an automated Internet.
About AlphaServ.com
AlphaServ.com is dedicated to being the premier provider of true multi-vendor services to the IT marketplace, including on-site network support and nationwide on-call support through over 60 locations throughout North America. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.alphaserv.com.
AlphaCONNECT, a division of AlphaServ.com, offers powerful foundation technologies for business intelligence software serving the Internet, intranet, corporate information technology, and software development markets. Both AlphaServ.com and its independent vendor partners use AlphaCONNECT to create award-winning business-to-business and consumer-based products. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.alphaconnect.com |
