1. A communications network providing a distributed computing environment and comprising: a plurality of physical resources comprising a plurality of processors, and a plurality of memory means associated with the physical resources; a plurality of agent computing entities, each incorporating a set of one or more objects and a messaging component, and residing, the physical resources; a means for communicating between the physical resources; and means for interfacing the agent computing entities to the communicating means such that the agent computing entities are able to communicate with each other over said communications network using a common set of syntax and common set of message exchanges.