Ice is a new object-oriented middleware platform that allows developers to build distributed client-server applications with minimal effort. While similar in concept to Corba, Ice breaks new ground by providing an object model that is both simpler and more powerful, by getting rid of inefficiencies that plagued middleware in the past, and by providing new features such as user datagram protocol (UDP) support, asynchronous method dispatch, built-in security, automatic object persistence, and interface aggregation. We discuss design decisions, contrasts the Corba and Ice approaches, and outlines the advantages that result from a better design.