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Monday October 25, 9:15 am Eastern Time

Company Press Release

The Corporation for National Research Initiatives Announces Python Consortium Created

Industry and government unite to advance leading programming language

RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 25, 1999-- The Corporation for National Research Initiatives today announced the formation of the Python Consortium.

Python is an increasingly popular high-level computer programming language, especially suitable for cross-platform rapid application development, website creation, and steering of scientific applications. Python also seamlessly integrates with Java, through the JPython compiler. Python and JPython are Open Source products; source and binaries are made available for free through the Python and JPython websites, http://www.python.org and http://www.jpython.org.

In the Python Consortium, partners in industry and government join forces to ensure Python's continued support and development. Initial Consortium partners are the Lawrence Livermore National Laborarory in Livermore, CA; Hewlett-Packard in Cupertino, CA; Digital Creations in Fredricksburg, VA; Interet Corporation in Millburn, NJ; and Foretec Seminars in Reston, VA.

``Python is a major component of our e-speak solutions and is our preferred language for end-user programming,'' says Joe Ellsworth, R&D section manager of Hewlett-Packard's OSO/e-speak division.

``When we discovered Python, we abandoned further development of our own steering language and switched to Python. We've never regretted this decision,'' says Paul Dubois of the Lawrence Livermore National Laborarory.

``Python is the ultimate programming language for us. We use it for everything,'' says Paul Everitt, president of Digital Creations.

``We find it is three to ten times faster to program in Python than in C, and since source code is available there is little risk,'' says James C. Ahlstrom, vice president of Interet Corporation.

``I'm very pleased with the support from the Python Consortium members. The formation of the Consortium marks Python's transition into the real world,'' says Guido van Rossum, Python's creator and the Consortium's technical director. Van Rossum, who created the Python language in the early 1990s while working for CWI, the Dutch Center for Mathematics and Computer Science in Amsterdam, joined CNRI in 1995 and has continued to be the lead developer of the language as it gained popularity through the Internet and the World-Wide Web.

About LLNL:

The Lawrence Livermore National Laborarory (LLNL) uses Python for steering of large numerical simulations and the construction of data analysis tools. Python is used as the key technology for tying together various scientific models and a supporting database, graphics, and mathematics infrastructure. Python is used in such diverse programs as the Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative (ASCI), modeling of magnetic fusion experiments, and in software for climate data analysis. LLNL also sponsors the development of a collection of support modules for Python. For more information, see htt://www.llnl.gov .

About Digital Creations:

Digital Creations has produced probably the most successful Python application to date, a comprehensive dynamic website management tool called ZOPE (Z Object Publishing Environment; http://www.zope.org). Like Python, ZOPE itself is distributed as Open Source. For more information, see http://www.digicool.com .

About Interet Corporation:

Interet provides financial optimization and analysis software to the leveraged lease marketplace. Interet's software is used by banks and lease investors in major money centers around the globe.

About Foretec Seminars:

Foretec Seminars, Inc., formed in 1997 as a subsidiary of CNRI, currently manages the International World Wide Web Conferences for IW3C2. Foretec is also responsible for managing various functions of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Secretariat for CNRI including arranging IETF meetings, and for organizing the yearly International Python Conference. For more information, see http://www.foretec.com .

About CNRI:

The Corporation for National Research Initiatives (CNRI) is a not-for-profit organization formed in 1986 to foster research and development for the National Information Infrastructure. CNRI promotes various collaborative activities that create productive synergies among government agencies, universities, and private organizations; undertakes targeted research in technologies for digital objects rights management, and high-speed networking; and supports various educational initiatives in the public interest. For more information, see http://www.cnri.reston.va.us.

About Python:

More information about Python can be obtained from the official Python website, http://www.python.org. Specifics about the Python Consortium are at http://www.python.org/consortium/ .


Contact:
     Python Consortium, Reston
     Guido van Rossum, 703/620-8990
     Email: guido@python.org

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