The leading global mobility company, Nokia, today announced the launch of Python for the Series 60 Platform, allowing the worldwide open source developer community that uses the powerful Python programming language to carry out Python commands and run Python scripts and applications on Series 60-based devices.

Python for Series 60 is a software package that installs to a Series 60 platform-based device, enabling developers to create applications with the simple and consistent, object-oriented Python programming language. It can be used to develop commands, scripts and applications for Series 60-based devices.

"Python will make mobile application development easy and accessible to programmers seeking a fast and developer-friendly avenue to writing mobile applications," said Lee Epting, vice president, Forum Nokia. "Python's popular features will now enable a dynamic new community of developers to unlock the vast potential of Series 60-based devices."

Python for Series 60 is well-suited to developing prototype and proof-of-concept applications for Series 60-based mobile devices. Developers can execute Python commands using an interactive console in a Series 60-based device, accessible by the keypad or a remote connection to a PC over Bluetooth.

Using Python for Series 60, developers can write Python applications and install them to a Series 60-based device and the device can then run these applications from the Python environment. Python applications can also be developed to run as standalone applications with selecting an icon from the device menu. Using Python for Series 60, developers also can execute Python commands and scripts in the emulators of Series 60 Developer Platform SDK's.

Python for Series 60 packages available for download include Python installer (SIS), with example scripts, release notes, additional libraries and documentation in PDF format, including "Getting Started with Python," "Programming with Python," and "API Reference for Python." Additionally, a Python for Series 60 discussion board on the Nokia site assists developers in navigating development scripts and applications on Series 60-based devices.

The Series 60 Platform, built on the Symbian OS, is the world's leading smartphone platform, with millions of devices in the market ready for the use of quality mobile applications. It is licensed by some of the chief mobile phone manufacturers in the world including LG Electronics, Lenovo, Nokia, Panasonic, Samsung, Sendo and Siemens.

Free downloads are available from Nokia's global developer community Web site, Forum Nokia, (www.forum.nokia.com/python)