# Interactive Software Services Ltd. : Closure **URL:** \ **Category:** Announcements\ **Created:** [September 16, 2024, 9:03pm UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/interactive-software-services-ltd-closure/8608 "2024-09-16T21:03:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jacobwilliams](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/fortran-lang.discourse.group/jacobwilliams/32/10_2.png) [@jacobwilliams](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/u/jacobwilliams)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2024, 9:03pm UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/interactive-software-services-ltd-closure/8608/1 "2024-09-16T21:03:41Z")
[https://www.winteracter.com/closure.htm](https://www.winteracter.com/closure.htm) From the link: > Interactive Software Services Ltd (“I.S.S.”) will cease trading on 31st October 2024. We would like to thank everyone for your custom, over the years. > I.S.S. has served the Fortran community as a commercial GUI toolset supplier for 36 years, but the time has come to move on. The commercial Fortran marketplace has seen an inexorable contraction in recent years. Notable compiler vendors such as Absoft and Lahey have left the market. Intel have moved to free of charge compilers via their oneAPI toolset. GNU’s gfortran has grown in popularity and NVIDIA offer their compiler free of charge on Linux. For good or bad, the Fortran world has predominantly shifted towards non-commercial tools. In this context, the difficult decision has been made to close I.S.S. ---
**Author:** ![Beliavsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Beliavsky](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/u/Beliavsky)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2024, 9:13pm UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/interactive-software-services-ltd-closure/8608/2 "2024-09-16T21:13:29Z")
It is clearly not good news, but I wonder if part of their problem was the move away from software you install on your computer (excluding cell phones), as opposed to using through a web interface. That is not a Fortran-specific trend. ---
**Author:** ![certik](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/fortran-lang.discourse.group/certik/32/4_2.png) [@certik](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/u/certik)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2024, 9:45pm UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/interactive-software-services-ltd-closure/8608/3 "2024-09-16T21:45:17Z")
All mainstream computer languages have mature opensource compilers, so Fortran is just moving there as well. I think that’s a net benefit to the users. I certainly have always preferred to have a completely opensource tooling, and only use commercial compilers as a bonus, say for faster runtime, or to target certain hardware, or better diagnostics. It would be great to have a thriving commercial ecosystem in Fortran. In my opinion the fact that it is currently still contracting is because the foundations of Fortran have been neglected for a long time and as a consequence the number of users and projects using Fortran have been decreasing. To fix it, we have to rebuild it: we actually need solid opensource compilers, package build system, website, forum, a thriving ecosystem of new packages, etc. Things are improving, but it can easily take another 5 years to see it in increased sales for commercial companies. I think once you have a thriving ecosystem, it should become easier to sell commercial add-ons. The other issue is as @Beliavsky suggested, that selling software in general is potentially getting harder. That trend is unrelated to Fortran, but doesn’t help it. ---
**Author:** ![Cean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bc8723/32.png) [@Cean](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/u/Cean)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2024, 9:57am UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/interactive-software-services-ltd-closure/8608/4 "2024-09-17T09:57:36Z")
How many people write Fortran GUI program? I write with Intel Fortran’s GUI and openGL . ---
**Author:** ![NormanKirkby](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/fortran-lang.discourse.group/normankirkby/32/1091_2.png) [@NormanKirkby](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/u/NormanKirkby)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2024, 10:19am UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/interactive-software-services-ltd-closure/8608/5 "2024-09-17T10:19:18Z")
I have used Interacter then Winteracter throughout my professional career, and I would like to record, publicly, how useful and robust it has been. And on the rare occasions I had trouble I always received rapid and effective responses. Thank you. Do you have plans for the source code? Is there any chance that it might be donated into the open source community? ---
**Author:** ![vmagnin](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/fortran-lang.discourse.group/vmagnin/32/28_2.png) [@vmagnin](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/u/vmagnin)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2024, 11:59am UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/interactive-software-services-ltd-closure/8608/6 "2024-09-17T11:59:44Z")
> [@Cean](#): > > How many people write Fortran GUI program? I do with gtk-fortran. ---
**Author:** ![cmaapic](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/fortran-lang.discourse.group/cmaapic/32/659_2.png) [@cmaapic](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/u/cmaapic)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2024, 2:39pm UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/interactive-software-services-ltd-closure/8608/7 "2024-09-17T14:39:54Z")
I think one has to careful about making statements about Fortran users based on Fortran Discourse membership. Here is a list of companies who employ people who are involved Fortran programming taken from the BCS (British Computer Society) Fortran specialist group membership. Aberdeenshire Council Ab Initio Software Ltd Adobe Systems Europe Ltd Alstom UK Altera Europe AMEC NNC LIMITED ARCADIS-Vectra Group Ltd Areva T & D UK Ltd Arm Ltd Arup Arup Group Ltd Aveva Solutions Ltd A W E AWE Baker Hughes Balfour Beatty Power Networks BCS BelSystems Ltd Best Union (Enta Ticketing Solutions Ltd) Bluebay Estate Agents Ltd Bone-IT Limited B P International Ltd British Energy British Energy Generation Ltd British Telecom BTCV Enterprises Buckinghamshire County Council CA CAD Schroer UK Canterbury Christ Church University Capgemini Capgemini UK Ltd CapGemini (UK) Plc Caterpillar N.I. Ltd Cayman Islands Government CEFAS CEYLON PETROLEUM STORAGE TERMINALS LIMITED Chartridge Scientific Computing Churchill Hospital Click Consult C/O Computer Services Corus Northern Engineering Services Costello & Associates Cray UK Ltd Crossrail Ltd C S C CSC Computer Sciences Ltd Delcam International Plc Det Norske Veritas D S T L D S T L Electronics Department Durham University East Lancs Institute of Higher Education EDF Energy Edge Hill University E D S Ltd EDS Ltd e-Go Aeroplanes E M B L Outstation Hinxton Entuity EPSRC General Payments E S R I (UK) Cambridge Ltd Excelian F G Wilson Ltd Fortranplus Forza Consulting Limited Fujitsu Fujitsu Europe Ltd Fujitsu Laboratories of Europe Ltd Fujitsu Ltd. Fujitsu Services Limited Gallathea S T S Ltd Gatsby Unit Glyndwr University Hawker Consultants Ltd Hewlett-Packard Company HMRC Honeywell Aerosoace IBM United Kingdom Ltd iConsult Globally Limited ICT Imperial College Imperial College London Independent Independent consultant Information Risk Management Plc Integrated Environmental Solutions Limited Interglossa Ltd Investment Property Databank Ltd JKR Associates John E Anderson Com. Research Con. John Leggott College John Wallace Associates JPF IT Consultancy Limited Jump Trading Pacific Pte Ltd Kaduna State University K.C. Computer Services L-3 Communications Link Simulation & Training UK Ltd Lee Bolton & Lee Liverpool Hope University Liverpool Hope University, Business & Computing Deanery Lloyds Bank Group Lloyd’s Register Longhours Ltd Making Music Management Systems Modelling Ltd MAN Investments Ltd Marconi Marine (VSEL) Ltd Markit Group Ltd Martin Jones Mathematical Institute MDC Medicines Discovery Catapult Mesolin Ltd Messier Dowty Ltd. Met Office Michael Saunby Micro Focus Ltd Ministry of Defence MOD MTEM Ltd M W Kellog Ltd NAG LTD National E-Science Centre National Grid Co Plc National Oceanography Centre NDI Recognition Systems Network Rail Nexus N F U Mutual Insurance Society Ltd none N T T X Ltd O E D, A B S Europe Ltd Optimum Semiconductor Technologies OSIsoft Europe Ltd Oxford Microtech Systems Limited Peakdawn Limited Peebee Publishing Ltd. Pilkington Technology & Management Ltd Polyhedron Software Ltd Praesideon Limited Protaffin Biotechnologie AG PZ & W Ltd Qinetiq Quintessa Ltd Quorum Network Resources Ltd RC3 Ltd Red Prairie Online Ltd Redprairie Plc Retired Revolution IT Rhymney Consulting Rolls-Royce Plc S A P UK Ltd School of Oriental & African Studies Science and Technology Facilities Council Seal Island Media Ltd S E D, A B S Europe Ltd Self-employed Self Employed Sellafield Limited Sellafield Ltd Shell International Trading & Shipping Co Ltd Shepway District Council Siemens Plessey Controls Ltd Software A G Software AG Software Ag (Uk) Ltd Sports Direct STFC Daresbury Laboratory Stratified Medical Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council Tata Steel Telespazio Vega UK Ltd Thales UK The Boots Company Plc The Hong Kong And China Gas Co Ltd The Mount Business Centre Ltd The University of Edinburgh The University of Hong Kong The University of Nottingham Thoughtworks T I S Software Ltd U K Euniversities University College London (UCL) University College Northampton University Of Ballarat University of Bedfordshire University of Birmingham University Of Birmingham University of Cambridge University Of Colombo University Of Greenwich University of Leeds University of Leicester University of Liverpool University of Oxford University of Qatar University of Reading University of Tasmania University Of Teesside University of Warwick University Of Westminster Uppingham School U R S Corporation Ltd Verizon Communications Philippines, Inc. VISA Europe Visteon European Corporate Office Weatherford (EPS) Westinghouse Rail Systems Ltd I wonder how many of the people working for these companies are also Fortran Discourse members? Conversations with people we’ve provided training to indicate that they are prepared to pay for compilers and expect support from the vendors as a consequence. As they say just my 2 cents worth. ---
**Author:** ![certik](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/fortran-lang.discourse.group/certik/32/4_2.png) [@certik](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/u/certik)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2024, 4:45pm UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/interactive-software-services-ltd-closure/8608/8 "2024-09-17T16:45:46Z")
> [@cmaapic](#): > > I wonder how many of the people working for these companies are also Fortran Discourse members? > > Conversations with people we’ve provided training to indicate that they are prepared to pay for compilers and expect support from the vendors as a consequence. > > As they say just my 2 cents worth. That’s excellent. Yes, not every Fortran user is at this Discourse. Yet. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MarDie](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/fortran-lang.discourse.group/mardie/32/54_2.png) [@MarDie](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/u/MarDie)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2024, 9:44pm UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/interactive-software-services-ltd-closure/8608/9 "2024-09-17T21:44:44Z")
> Conversations with people we’ve provided training to indicate that they are prepared to pay for compilers and expect support from the vendors as a consequence. Did you also ask whether they would pay for service/support for an open source compiler? If “getting the job done” is the relevant metric, it should not matter whether one pays for the right to use a software and get support for free or whether one can use a software for free and pays for support. Sidenote: I’m working at a public university, and there it is unfortunately much easier to pay huge license fees for commercial software than donating little money to developers of free and open source software. Support contracts might be a viable solution to pay open source developers in that situation. ---
**Author:** ![urbanjost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/0ea827/32.png) [@urbanjost](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/u/urbanjost)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2024, 11:22pm UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/interactive-software-services-ltd-closure/8608/10 "2024-09-17T23:22:52Z")
A through W and then not a single X, Y, or Z? Did the list get truncated? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![cmaapic](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/fortran-lang.discourse.group/cmaapic/32/659_2.png) [@cmaapic](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/u/cmaapic)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 1:53pm UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/interactive-software-services-ltd-closure/8608/11 "2024-09-18T13:53:40Z")
Here is some background. Most of the companies we deal with use the Intel compiler on a Windows platform, and pay for the compiler. Most users also have a locked desktop. We teach with the Nag compiler due to its diagnostic capability. Here is a link [Fortranplus | Fortran information](https://www.fortranplus.co.uk/fortran-information/) Nag now provide a one month trial for everyone/anyone. We previously had an arrangement with Nag where they would provide a licence key to the users/company for the course. The issue of ‘open source’ Fortran compilers (effectively gfortran) does not come up when talking to the users. As Windows is the major platform virtual courses are given via Teams, which is a security requirement by most of the companies. Each company has their own way of working, and Jane and I fit round them. ---
**Author:** ![MarDie](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/fortran-lang.discourse.group/mardie/32/54_2.png) [@MarDie](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/u/MarDie)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 2:46pm UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/interactive-software-services-ltd-closure/8608/12 "2024-09-18T14:46:25Z")
@cmaapic: interesting. That means companies who still pay for Intel compilers (which are free) actually pay for support. Good business for @certik if LFortran works on Windows. ---
**Author:** ![certik](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/fortran-lang.discourse.group/certik/32/4_2.png) [@certik](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/u/certik)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 2:57pm UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/interactive-software-services-ltd-closure/8608/13 "2024-09-18T14:57:52Z")
> [@MarDie](#): > > if LFortran works on Windows. It works, although not as well as on Linux/macOS. I work at Microsoft now and use Windows daily, so we’ll quickly catch up. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![FortranFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/96bed5/32.png) [@FortranFan](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/u/FortranFan)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 3:31pm UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/interactive-software-services-ltd-closure/8608/14 "2024-09-18T15:31:43Z")
@cmaapic , @certik, et al., Perhaps the training presentations and material to **industrial users** by FortranPlus and anyone else can more explicitly point to Fortran Discourse site for guidance and support re: Fortran? ---
**Author:** ![jacobwilliams](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/fortran-lang.discourse.group/jacobwilliams/32/10_2.png) [@jacobwilliams](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/u/jacobwilliams)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 5:30pm UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/interactive-software-services-ltd-closure/8608/15 "2024-09-18T17:30:51Z")
Winteracter was always kind of a unique product, in that it allowed a pure Fortran solution for creating fairly complicated GUIs, packaged up as a nice product with pretty good technical support from the developers. But I always wondered about their business model and how many customers they had and how long it was going to last. We used Winteracter for many years in my org, but ended up basically outgrowing it due to its limitations. I do have fond memories of using it though. The Windows version was fine but was really showing its age. The Mac version was not great, since it was X11/OpenMotif based, and the less said about that the better. I don’t think I ever used the Linux version (also X11/OpenMotif). We ended up rewriting our GUI in Python and Qt/PySide, with the Fortran core as a shared library. This allowed us to have real and modern cross-platform support and a very sophisticated GUI that just was not possible with Winteracter. So we ended up with something that was not only free, but better in most or all ways. ### Reference - [Copernicus 5.0: Latest Advances in JSC’s Spacecraft Trajectory Optimization and Design System](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362823897_Copernicus_50_Latest_Advances_in_JSC%27s_Spacecraft_Trajectory_Optimization_and_Design_System) ---
**Author:** ![Cean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bc8723/32.png) [@Cean](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/u/Cean)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 9:15pm UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/interactive-software-services-ltd-closure/8608/16 "2024-09-18T21:15:16Z")
Intel is free, but you have to pay ms for vs if you don’t want to open source? Its vc is needed. ---
**Author:** ![Ashok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed655f/32.png) [@Ashok](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/u/Ashok)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2024, 2:45am UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/interactive-software-services-ltd-closure/8608/17 "2024-09-19T02:45:24Z")
Hi @certik , Great to hear that ! Will your employment at MS affect LFortran development or release anyway. Or will LFortran now receive support from MS ? ---
**Author:** ![certik](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/fortran-lang.discourse.group/certik/32/4_2.png) [@certik](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/u/certik)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2024, 3:08am UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/interactive-software-services-ltd-closure/8608/18 "2024-09-19T03:08:18Z")
> [@Ashok](#): > > Will your employment at MS affect LFortran development or release anyway. It will not affect things negatively (if that is what you are asking), I am doing it on the side, like I was in my previous company and at LANL before that. We have external funding at NumFOCUS, and a large contractor team, you can see the constant steady stream of PRs going in every day: [Pull requests · lfortran/lfortran · GitHub](https://github.com/lfortran/lfortran/pulls?q=is%3Apr+is%3Aclosed). > Or will LFortran now receive support from MS ? That would be cool, wouldn’t it? 🙂 No, not right now, I am working as a compiler engineer for Microsoft’s custom hardware (some details of which you can read at [Inside Maia 100: Revolutionizing AI Workloads with Microsoft's Custom AI Accelerator](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/azure-infrastructure-blog/inside-maia-100-revolutionizing-ai-workloads-with-microsoft-s/ba-p/4229118)). I think our current LFortran resources are enough to get us to beta quality, meaning it can compile most Fortran codes, and expected to work. That in turn will open up many possibilities for further funding, whether NVIDIA, AMD, Microsoft or other companies, labs or grant agencies, or even individual contributions from people (thank you everybody who contributed so far!). It might be possible to sustain long-term development from individual contributions alone as well. ---
**Author:** ![RonShepard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@RonShepard](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/u/RonShepard)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2024, 4:31am UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/interactive-software-services-ltd-closure/8608/19 "2024-09-19T04:31:51Z")
> [@certik](#): > > That in turn will open up many possibilities for further funding, whether NVIDIA, AMD, Microsoft or other companies, labs or grant agencies, or even individual contributions from people (thank you everybody who contributed so far!). Hopefully Apple will be one of those companies too. Apple already supports the LLVM software ecosystem, including debuggers, but they do not support fortran within xcode or any other way. Macs are a wonderful development environment for scientific, engineering, and numerical computing, but apple does not support fortran which as we all here know has been and is one of the predominant languages in those fields. ---
**Author:** ![jacobwilliams](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/fortran-lang.discourse.group/jacobwilliams/32/10_2.png) [@jacobwilliams](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/u/jacobwilliams)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2024, 12:19pm UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/interactive-software-services-ltd-closure/8608/20 "2024-09-21T12:19:41Z")
I’d be curious to know if anyone here has ever used this GINO product: [GINOMENU Studio – GINO](http://gino.co.uk/ginomenu-studio) [Next page](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/interactive-software-services-ltd-closure/8608.md?page=2)