The Parallel Tools Consortium (Ptools) is a special-interest group that brings together tool users, developers, and researchers with the goal of improving the usability and availability of parallel tools.
Ptools has three primary roles:
- Ptools provides a forum for interactions involving tool users, developers, and researchers
- Creates opportunities for dialog between tool users and tool developers to identify user needs and how tools can be made more responsive to them
- Promotes discussion and technical exchanges among tool researchers and developers from different organizations
- Ptools promotes the development and dissemination of usable tools
- Encourages and facilitates projects to develop parallel tools that respond to particular user needs and can be made freely available on multiple computer platforms
- Assists the dissemination of parallel tools by publicizing information on their availability
- Ptools serves as a liaison with other special-interest groups and standards efforts
- Provides input on behalf of tool users and developers to groups defining standards that relate directly or indirectly to parallel tools
- Communicates information about standards and other developments of interest to tool users, developers, or researchers
The Consortium was established in November 1993.