integration with other web-based systems • Current, designed according to the latest understanding of programming language design. • Portable, so it can be run on almost any computer. • Object-oriented, like the most popular languages (Java, C++) used today for the most innovative applications. • Convenient, loaded with powerful and useful features, supports many different programming styles • Used, lots of PHP in use today (incl. the most "popular" dynamic web sites), more all the time, lots of non-trivial examples and free resources • Not Proprietary, and that’s good!