This highly-cited paper (115 citations in Google Scholar) was the first to present Lancaster's ""OpenCOM"" component model, which has since underpinned all our middleware research. OpenCOM's originality was its capability (through programming language independence, reflectivity, adaptivity, minimality and efficiency) of applying uniformity to the implementation of systems software environments, from enterprise middleware to sensor OSs. The work has fed directly into subsequent EPSRC collaborative projects (with UCL and with Oxford Brookes), and EU projects (the 'RUNES' FP6 IP and the 'AOSD Europe' NoE). It also influenced later systems component models such as INRIA's Fractal. Acceptance rate for Middleware 2001: 25%. RAE_import_type : Conference contribution RAE_uoa_type : Computer Science and Informatics