Panel session on component software

Component software and distributed object architectures are receiving considerable attention at the moment. With HEP experiments increasing in size and complexity shouldn't the physics community look to adopt this technology? But what is component software, what are the potential benefits and disadvantages? Can quality components be bought off the shelf? Which components models are best? Is the technology mature enough? Perhaps physicists should be actively involved in the standards making process to produce common facility components for HEP experiments and accelerators? This panel session aims to answer some of these questions and provide feedback of experiences gained in using this technology. (orig.)