Advances in computer networking have allowed computer systems across the world to be interconnected. Despite this, the heterogeneity in interaction models prevents interworking between systems. Open Distributed Processing (ODP) is an emerging technology which is attempting to solve the software interaction problem by proposing a common framework for distributed systems. ODP systems are those that support heterogeneous distributed processing both within and between autonomous organisations.
Progress within the field of ODP advances at such a rate that regular forums for information exchange are a necessity for anyone interested in this area of enquiry. The opportunity for interaction between academia and industry representatives is of particular importance to both the application of ODP technology in industry and the future direction of ODP research. In this regard, one of the aims of ICODP 95 is to bring together representatives from both sectors to discuss the topic of `Achieving Open Distributed Systems - Experiences with Distributed Environments'.
The conference organizers encourage contributions which focus on the relevance of ODP technology to achieve some specific application. These papers should highlight the developer's motivations for using ODP technology and detail experiences with the use of a distributed environment (e.g. ANSAware, DCE, ONC+, CORBA, Windows NT).