**EXHIBIT 31.1**

**CERTIFICATION**

I, Larry G. Blackwell, certify that:

|  | 1. | I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Datastream Systems, Inc; |
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|  | 2. | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which suchstatements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; |
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|  | 3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of theregistrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; |
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|  | 4. | The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrantand have: |
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(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to bedesigned under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report isbeing prepared;

(b) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report ourconclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

(c) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or isreasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

|  | 5. | The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of theregistrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): |
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(a) all significant deficiencies andmaterial weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

(b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internalcontrol over financial reporting.

  

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| Date: August 14, 2003 |   |   | /s/ LARRY G. BLACKWELL                           |
|                  |   |   | **Larry G. Blacwell****Chief Executive Officer** |

 

A signed original of this written statement required by Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 has been provided to Datastream Systems, Inc. and will be retained by Datastream Systems, Inc. andfurnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.