Contemporary distributed software systems have become extremely het- erogeneous, dynamic and large-scale; they may include backend servers, regular PCs, various mobile and ubiquitous devices, plus diverse network infrastructures, such as mobile ad-hoc and wireless sensor networks. The STADiUM project, funded by IWT, addresses this complex context and investigates a next generation management platform that is adaptable to various operational conditions and available system resources. The platform will be based on a middleware architecture that embraces adaptation, a set of reusable service frameworks at the device as well as the distribution level of the middleware, and a family of configuration languages.