Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for customizing messages. The apparatus includes a communications unit and a processing unit. The communications unit can be configured to receive a message from a sender and intended for one or more target recipients. The communications unit can also be configured to receive one or more message customization indicators that are from either or both of the sender and respective ones of the target recipients. The message customization indicators are respectively related to identifying characteristics of the respective target recipients and the sender when provided by the sender and respective ones of the target recipients. The processing unit can be configured to cause respective output versions of the message to be outputted to the target recipients, each respective output version being output in a format consistent with the message customization indicators and at least one of the respective output versions being different from another of the respective output versions.

Abstract: Embodiments of a system and method for distributing network data to multiple nodes in a data communications network is described. Two data communication channels are provided for each node in the network. While one of the communication channels carries routing and flow control protocol messages, as well as data, in both directions between network nodes, the other communication channel is configured to transmit data traffic—and only data traffic—in a single direction from the network data server toward all of the other nodes in the network. By using 100% of the available bandwidth for data traffic only, the speed at which data may be distributed throughout the network is maximized and the performance degradation caused by the congestion, collisions or packet loss that typically occurs in two-way data communication channels is avoided.