A project code name is a name (usually a single word or short phrase) which is given to a project being developed by industry, academia, government, and other concerns. Project code names are typically used for several reasons: A code name or cryptonym is a word or name used clandestinely to refer to another name or word. ... A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service. ...

• To uniquely identify the project within the organization. Code names are frequently chosen to be outside the normal business/domain jargon that the organization uses, in order to not conflict with established terminology.
• To assist with maintaining secrecy of the project against rival concerns. Some corporations routinely change project names in order to further confuse competitors.
• When the goal of the project is to develop one or more commercial products, use of a code name allows the eventual choice of product nomenclature (the name the product(s) are marketed and sold under) to be decoupled from the development effort. This is especially important when one project generates multiple products, or multiple projects are needed to produce a single product.
• To allow subprojects to be given a separate identity from the main project.
• As a political tool by management, to decouple an early phase of a development effort (which may have failed) from a subsequent phase (which may be given a "fresh start").

Different organizations have different policies regarding the use and publication of project code names. Some companies take great pains to never discuss project code names outside of the company (other than with outside entities who have a need to know, and typically are bound with a non-disclosure agreement). Other companies never use them in official or formal communications, but widely disseminate project code names through informal channels (often in an attempt to create a marketing "buzz" for the project). Still others (such as Microsoft) discuss code names publicly, and routinely use project code names on beta releases and such, but remove them from final projects. At the end of the spectrum, Apple Computer has recently been including the project code names for Mac OS X as part of the official project name. Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from others. ... A non-disclosure agreement (NDA), also called a confidential disclosure agreement (CDA), confidentiality agreement or secrecy agreement, is a legal contract between at least two parties which outlines confidentiality materials the parties wish to share with one another for certain purposes, but wish to restrict from generalized use. ... Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT, HKSE: 4338) is an international computer technology corporation with 2005 global annual sales of US$42. ... Apple Computer, Inc. ... Mac OS X is a proprietary operating system developed and sold by Apple Computer, Inc. ...

Well-known project code names

• Microsoft often names projects (in particular, versions of the Microsoft Windows operating systems) after place names. Examples include Chicago (Windows 95), Daytona (Windows NT 3.5),Longhorn (Windows Vista), Whistler (Windows XP), Cairo (originally thought to be Windows NT 4.0, though many observers now believe that Cairo never turned into a project), and Xenon (Xbox 360). See Microsoft codenames.

• Intel often names CPU projects after rivers in the American West, particularly in the state of Oregon (where most of Intel's CPU projects are designed). Examples include Willamette, Deschutes, Yamhill, Tualatin, and Clackamas.

• Apple Computer has named the various major releases of Mac OS X after large cats, such as Jaguar, Tiger, Panther, Leopard
  • Apple also got into a legal battle in 1993 with the late astronomer Carl Sagan, when Mr. Sagan objected (via his lawyers) to a project within Apple with the code name Carl Sagan (apparently chosen under the belief that it would earn Apple "billyun and billyuns" of dollars). The project was renamed BHA (short for "Butt-head Astronomer"). Sagan sued Apple for libel, claiming that the pejorative "Butt-head" was defamatory, and lost.

• Nintendo often uses code names for new consoles. The most well-known is that of Wii, which was codenamed as the Revolution for over a year. Others include the Gamecube's codename of Dolphin and the Nintendo 64 as Project Reality.

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT, HKSE: 4338) is an international computer technology corporation with 2005 global annual sales of US$42. ... ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... A boxed copy of Windows 95 Upgrade. ... Windows NT 3. ... Windows Vista is a proprietary operating system developed by Microsoft. ... Windows XP is the name of a line of operating systems developed by Microsoft for use on general-purpose computer systems, including home and business desktops, notebook computers, and media centers. ... Windows NT 4. ... The Xbox 360 (three-sixty), known during development as the Xenon or Xbox 2, is the successor to Microsofts Xbox video game console. ... Microsoft codenames are the codenames given by Microsoft to products it has in development, before these products are given the names by which they appear on store shelves. ... Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC, SEHK: 4335), founded in 1968 as Integrated Electronics Corporation, is an American multinational corporation that is best known for designing and manufacturing microprocessors and specialized integrated circuits. ... The Murray River in Australia. ... Official language(s) None Capital Largest city Salem Portland Area  Ranked 9th  - Total 98,466 sq. ... Apple Computer, Inc. ... Mac OS X is a proprietary operating system developed and sold by Apple Computer, Inc. ... Trinomial name Felis silvestris catus (Linnaeus, 1758) The cat, also called the domestic cat or house cat, is a small carnivorous mammal of the subspecies Felis silvestris catus. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... It has been suggested that Minimum deterrence be merged into this article or section. ... Nintendo (Japanese: 任天堂, ニンテンドー Nintendō; NASDAQ: NTDOY, TYO: 7974 ) is a multinational corporation founded on November 6,[citation needed] 1889 in Kyoto, Japan by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards, for use in a Japanese playing card game of the same name. ... Wii (pronounced we, IPA: ) is Nintendos seventh-generation video game console, their fifth home console, and the successor to the Nintendo GameCube. ... The Nintendo GameCube (Japanese: ゲームキューブ; originally code-named Dolphin during development; abbreviated as GCN) is Nintendos fourth home video game console, belonging to the 128-bit era; the same generation as Segas Dreamcast, Sonys PlayStation 2, and Microsofts Xbox. ... The Nintendo 64, commonly called the N64, is Nintendos third home video game console for the international market. ...

External links

• Various Microsoft product codenames from over the years.
• Apple Computer internal product codenames