ESPRIT, the European Specific Research and Technological Development Programme in the field of Information Technologies, was set up in 1984 as a cooperative research programme involving European IT companies, large and small, and academic institutions. Managed by DG III of the European Commission, its aim is to contribute to the development of a competitive industrial base in an area of crucial importance for the entire European economy. The current phase of ESPRIT (the third) comprises five technological areas (Microelectronics, Design and Engineering Technology for Software-Intensive Systems, High-Performance Computing and its Applications, Advanced Business and Home Systems plus Peripherals. Computer-Integrated Manufacturing and Engineering), Basic Research and the Open Microprocessor Systems Initiative, which draws on all other areas of the programme. The series Research Reports ESPRIT is helping to disseminate the many results - products and services, tools and methods, and international standards - arising from the hundreds of projects, involving thousands of researchers, that have already been launched.