diff --git a/IPython/zmq/datapub.py b/IPython/zmq/datapub.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..37d696d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/IPython/zmq/datapub.py
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+"""Publishing
+"""
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+#  Copyright (C) 2012  The IPython Development Team
+#
+#  Distributed under the terms of the BSD License.  The full license is in
+#  the file COPYING, distributed as part of this software.
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Imports
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+from IPython.config import Configurable
+
+from IPython.utils.jsonutil import json_clean
+from IPython.utils.traitlets import Instance, Dict, CBytes
+
+from IPython.zmq.serialize import serialize_object
+from IPython.zmq.session import Session, extract_header
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Code
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+class ZMQDataPublisher(Configurable):
+
+    topic = topic = CBytes(b'datapub')
+    session = Instance(Session)
+    pub_socket = Instance('zmq.Socket')
+    parent_header = Dict({})
+
+    def set_parent(self, parent):
+        """Set the parent for outbound messages."""
+        self.parent_header = extract_header(parent)
+    
+    def publish_data(self, data):
+        """publish a data_message on the IOPub channel
+    
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+    
+        data : dict
+            The data to be published. Think of it as a namespace.
+        """
+        session = self.session
+        buffers = serialize_object(data,
+            buffer_threshold=session.buffer_threshold,
+            item_threshold=session.item_threshold,
+        )
+        content = json_clean(dict(keys=data.keys()))
+        session.send(self.pub_socket, 'data_message', content=content,
+            parent=self.parent_header,
+            buffers=buffers,
+            ident=self.topic,
+        )
+
+
+def publish_data(data):
+    """publish a data_message on the IOPub channel
+    
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    
+    data : dict
+        The data to be published. Think of it as a namespace.
+    """
+    from IPython.zmq.zmqshell import ZMQInteractiveShell
+    ZMQInteractiveShell.instance().data_pub.publish_data(data)