Multipoint Launches Canadian FM Sideband Service; U.S., Canadian Quotes Available In Toronto And Vancouver

Multipoint Communications, Ltd. has launched a real-time market data service for microcomputer users in Canada. Multipoint is broadcasting quotes over an FM sideband network in Toronto and Vancouver using Bonneville Telecommunications Corp. technology (MTR, April 1986).

Multipoint is a joint venture of Southam Communications, a major Canadian publisher, Selkirk Communications, a large Canadian broadcaster, and Bonneville. It expects to expand its FM coverage into Montreal, Ottawa, and Edmonton by early 1987.

So far the new quote service has attracted about 25 customers, mostly in Toronto and "primarily private individuals -- day trader types," says John Maynard, the firm's president. In pursuit of private investors, Multipoint has added the capability to insert messages into the system, and plans to market that capability to discount brokers.

Multipoint's quote stream combines two feeds imported from Bonneville in the U.S. -- Bridge Market Data futures and CQI Comstock equities -- with Canadian quotes from Stardata in Toronto. Most customers take the equities feed, says Maynard.

While Multipoint plans to offer Macstock and Market Center, two Bonneville microcomputer software packages, most customers to date are using an inexpensive package put out by a Toronto firm, TSA Proforma. The package -- "Proquote" -- provides quote pages, charting, intra- and interday analytics, and dynamic displays of most active by price change or volume, says TSA president Bill St. Arnaud.

Proquote sells for a one-time fee of $495. It requires an IBM-PC or compatible with 512K RAM, two floppy drives, and a color graphics adapter for charts. A version of Proquote will soon be available for the Xpress Information Services cable quote feed (see related story, this issue), says St. Arnaud.