Agents represent an exciting and promising new approach to building a wide range of software applications. Agents are autonomous problem-solving entities that are able to flexibly solve problems in complex, dynamic environments, without receiving permanent guidance from the user.

Agent Technology: Foundations, Applications and Markets is the first book to provide an integrative presentation of the issues, challenges and success of designing, building and using agent applications. The chapters presented are written by internationally leading authorities in the field. The book provides, for a general audience, a unique overview on agent technology applications, ranging from an introduction to the technical foundations to reports on dealing with specific agent systems in practice.