Abstract
The recent significant progresses in (wired and wireless) network and middleware technologies have opened a huge opportunity for many new research areas and paradigms related to open distributed computing systems. This paper aims to define a synthesis among these areas that are in one way or another related either to multi-agent systems or Grid computing or both, such as Semantic Grid, Agent-based Grid Computing, Service-oriented Architectures, (and utility-based computing). It is argued that there is a substantial overlap between the key issues being addressed by these areas. Thus, it makes sense to stimulate interdisciplinary research at a higher level of synthesis. This will open an exciting opportunity for ambient and open distributed computing environments that combines the qualities of the above mentioned individual research areas.