The annual ACM/IFIP/USENIX Middleware conference is a major forum for the discussion of innovations and recent advances in the design, construction and use of middleware systems. Following the success of past conferences in this series, the 17th International Middleware Conference will be the premier event for middleware research, technology and experimentation in 2016. The scope of the conference is the design, implementation, deployment, and evaluation of distributed system platforms and architectures for computing, storage, and communication environments. Highlights of the conference will include a high quality single-track technical program, invited speakers, an industrial track, panel discussions involving academic and industry leaders, poster and demonstration presentations, a doctoral symposium, and workshops.