PointCast to Begin Search for CEO

PointCast Inc., the privately held company that pioneered push technology on the Internet, will announce today that it has begun a search for a chief executive, a move that industry executives said is a precursor to an initial public offering. Cupertino, Calif.-based PointCast will hold a conference call today to announce its CEO search and to unveil the next version of its news and information service for the Internet. The beta, or test, version of its PointCast 2.0 software will be available free beginning today as a download at PointCast’s Web site. Chris Hassett, PointCast’s current president and CEO, will remain with the company as chairman and concentrate on the company’s vision, while the new CEO focuses on the day-to-day operations, PointCast said. The firm pioneered the concept of technology that “pushes” requested news and information to a desktop PC, via the Internet.