Researchers are exploring the world of distributed computing, in which users in various locations can work with the same set of geographically dispersed resources. These efforts have led to such high-profile technologies as peer-to-peer (P2P), pervasive, and nomadic computing. A critical part of this research is developing consistent approaches to distributed-computing operating environments, which must work consistently across many platforms and technologies. Major efforts in this area include Globe, Opus, and Project Oxygen. None of the three represents radically new technologies, but instead each applies existing technologies in a novel way.