NuSphere Announces New Web Development Products Based On Open Source Components

Business Wire, June 18, 2001

Business/Technology Editors

BEDFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 18, 2001

NuSphere(R) PHPEd(TM) Advantage Accelerates PHP Programming;

Powerful Addition to NuSphere's Internet Application Platform (IAP)

NuSphere Corporation announced its new product NuSphere(R) PHPEd(TM) Advantage, a comprehensive set of editing tools to speed development of database-driven web applications using PHP. NuSphere PHPEd Advantage joins the company's original NuSphere MySQL(TM) Advantage product as part of the growing NuSphere Advantage product line, an integrated foundation consisting of MySQL, Apache, Perl and PHP. NuSphere Pro Advantage combines the features of both products into a powerful Internet Application Platform (IAP) for small- and medium-sized enterprises. The IAP provides an integrated foundation on which to deploy reliable, cost-effective, enterprise-class applications based on popular open source components.

According to a recent Netcraft survey, PHP is used on more than 5 million of the domains on the Internet, making it the most popular cross-platform scripting language. And, while PHP is a common scripting language for developing dynamic web pages along with HTML, developers are still challenged to create more cost-effective, transaction-based web applications, products and services. NuSphere enhances the PHP programming experience with editing tools to speed integration with back-end databases.

"PHP cuts through the complexity of developing modern web applications, enabling users to focus on their actual business instead of spending all their time and resources becoming expert web programmers," said Rasmus Lerdorf, the original creator of PHP. "NuSphere's products and services will help speed the development of PHP-based applications and make it easier for companies to adopt PHP and other open source technologies."

In creating this new product and the IAP, NuSphere teamed with leading PHP expert Ergin Soysal of Turkey. When he began using PHP, it lacked a tool to speed the development of PHP programs. Soysal was one of the first to begin working on an editor. "Even as early as the 1980s I knew from my own experience that developers needed better tools," said Soysal. "When I started using PHP I saw a tremendous opportunity, and have been developing PHPEd ever since. I was enthusiastic about working with NuSphere to bring this project to fruition."

NuSphere PHPEd Advantage is a multi-platform development environment that includes editing, debugging and deployment tools for building enterprise-quality, cost-effective web applications that leverage core open source components. To speed integration between back-end database and front-end web pages, the product includes several built-in, customizable development tools, including:

--A database tool to connect PHP scripts and SQL databases, which eliminates switching between different development environments, increases productivity and also allows developers to execute SQL statements against the database while testing their code.

--A code editor that gives color-coded visual cues and templates for commonly used script features to further reduce development time, in addition to standard editing functions.

--A built-in debugger that does not require program modification. It allows programmers to find syntax and logic errors easily and quickly, shaving development time and reducing scripting errors.

--Remote deployment capabilities, which include a built-in FTP client, allow developers to easily retrieve and save applications on remote servers.

"While many companies recognize the cost and time savings that open source components offer when building next-generation web services, they have questioned the reliability and support backing these technologies," said Lorne Cooper, president of NuSphere. "In pushing out an entire product line, NuSphere is offering the professional developer a fully integrated, enterprise-ready IAP based on open source technology, which will continue to evolve through our quarterly updates, just as their IT and business needs grow more complex."

NuSphere PHPEd Advantage includes sample applications written in PHP, such as a shopping cart and a conference room booking application. It also includes phpMyAdmin, which handles the basic administration of MySQL over the Internet, allowing developers to create and manipulate databases, as well as create and alter tables, edit fields, and execute any SQL-statement.

Developers can purchase NuSphere MySQL Advantage or NuSphere PHPEd Advantage for $299 per server per year; NuSphere Pro Advantage is available for $495 per server annually. NuSphere Advantage products are updated on a quarterly basis to include the most integrated, tested versions of the core open source components, as well as new applications and productivity tools.

About NuSphere Corporation

NuSphere delivers the first Internet Application Platform (IAP) based on open source components, providing an integrated foundation that allows companies to deploy reliable, cost-effective, enterprise-class applications across Windows, UNIX and Linux environments. NuSphere Advantage is an integrated software suite that pairs the reliability and cost-effectiveness of Apache, MySQL, Perl and PHP with new technology for building business-critical web applications. Based in Bedford, Mass., the company's commercial software services include technical support, consulting and training. For more information, visit www.nusphere.com or call +1-781-280-4600.