IBM announced new software that dynamically translates, or “transcodes,” Web information — including text and images — to a format readable on a variety of Internet appliances. IBM WebSphere Transcoding Publisher extends the reach of Web data and applications to a new generation of information appliances, including smart phones, car browsers and PDAs. Because Transcoding Publisher customizes the content to match the capabilities of the receiving device, applications do not have to be rewritten. The software is available for AIX, Linux, Solaris and Microsoft Windows NT and Windows 2000 operating systems. Built on an extensible, Java-based architecture, WebSphere Transcoding Publisher converts data and applications written in the standard markup languages of the Web — HTML and XML — to other formats such as Wireless Markup Language (WML). It can also convert graphics to a format that can be viewed on a handheld device, or convert the graphic to a hyperlink. Transcoding Publisher extends the capabilities of other IBM software offerings, including WebSphere Application Server, MQSeries Everywhere, and Host Publisher, to handheld devices. The combination of these offerings gives customers the ability to extend data and applications — whether host or Web-based — to a format appropriate for the receiving device. WebSphere Transcoding Publisher will be available worldwide in ten languages on March 31, 2000. www.software.ibm.com