The theme "Build and Conquer" chosen for this year's conference fully represents what we (the organizers) want to put across to the software community: software development is an engineering discipline, and not an artistic expression. Once we are ready to "build" our software systems using pieces previously builtin (similar to any other technology manufacturer), we will be able to "conquer" the software engineering process. If we take a look at other engineering disciplines such as car manufacturing, house appliances or aeronautics, we see that the final products are built through the integration of multiprovider commercial components. These components are successfully integrated and constitute an important part of the final product. Most software-related organizations still build software from scratch, omitting thousands of ready-built commercially available software components that could be used very effectively during the development phase. This year ICCBSS moves to Europe for the first time since the first conference took place in Orlando, FL, USA in 2002. The conference scope has enlarged over the years to include the Open Source community and Web Services technologies. The reason for this is that I believe both are considered components-off-the-shelf, so many of the characteristics of COTS are also applied to Open Source and Web Services. Due to this, we will enjoy the presence of keynote speakers and researchers presenting on these two topics for the first time.

In the short space of about a decade, Commercial-Off-the-Shelf (COTS) software has evolved through being a relatively minor aspect of software development; a t- management-endorsedsilverbulletsolutionforsoftwaredevelopment;adisruptivete- nology requiring people and organizations to extensively rethink their approaches to software development; to an increasingly well-understood software phenomenon for which effective solutions are being developed. Part of this understanding has been to recognize that different COTS application sectors can be at different stages of this evolution. Some sectors are just beginning to become COTS-intensive. Some have evolved COTS solutions that are very well matched to their problem domain. Others, including most large-scale applications, still involve their developers in rethinking how to adapt their traditional software architectures, processes, management practices, and personnel skills to accommodate economically attractive but complex combinations of powerful but incompletely compatible and independently evolving COTS products. The series of International Conferences on COTS-Based Software Systems (ICCBSS) has been established as a continuing forum for bringing together CBSS developers, s- pliers, and researchers to summarize and discuss progress toward understanding and resolving CBSS problems. This year s conference theme, Matching Solutions to P- blems,"re?ectsthisobjective.Wehavebeenfortunatetohavethreeoutstandingkeynote speakers, David Carr, Tricia Oberndorf, and Douglas Schmidt, who have contributed signi?cantly both in analyzing CBSS problems and developing better CBSS solutions. The contributed papers and summaries of workshops, panels, and tutorials in these ProceedingsgiveagoodunderstandingofthenatureanddirectionsofevolutionofCBSS problems and solutions.As has been my experience with previous ICCBSS Proceedings volumes, I believe that you will ?nd lasting value in the content of the Proceedings."

Today's software designers are frequently called upon to incorporate increasingly diverse and dynamically changing technologies into everyday business operations. "SIM" is a recently devised methodology created by the author for identifying the components of a complex system and combining them into a well-structured framework in which the interaction of these components faithfully represents the operations of the system. It addresses the need for a practical and effective way to combine diverse technologies with the ultimate goal of delivering what is really wanted. This "Systems Integration Methodology" enables conscious decisions to be made that are consistent with project goals, and the system's general responsibilities. This process results in a system that is highly reflective of the organization in which it operates, as opposed to the system designer's best "speculative" results. Accompanying the book is a cross-platform CD-ROM containing student projects, animations, templates and proprietary, author-developed software for helping students and professionals alike to develop and model their own system's needs.