Such a model is clearly desirable for the practitioner of the development of information systems; current research, instead of converging towards more general models, tend to disperse into incompatible, non-integrated models by lack of coordination.
This common model will serve as a basis for integration of languages in each field, allowing the treatment of large-scale problems where a variety of approaches is needed to deal with each facet of the system (comprising heterogeneous agents, among which humans and computers). Furthermore the use of a formal model will ensure a sound basis to these systems.
This long-term objective will only partly be reached within the time span of ModelAge: The impact on industrial practice will be obtained progressively through education, and through common projects of the members with local industrial partners, where realistic case studies will be performed. This underlying model will later allow the development by industrials (not currently part of ModelAge) of integrated software tools allowing a multi-formalism approach to complex information systems.