Commercial applications of agents: lessons, experiences and challenges

As has been argued very eloquently and effectively, there is a chasm that needs to be crossed in the adoption of any new technology [8], and the marketing of such technologies must somehow try to bridge the gap that arises. Many currently see agent technologies in the middle of that chasm period of adoption, where addressing the visionaries as well as the pragmatists (or early adopters) who avoid risks but readily see the advantages of tested technologies [11], is necessary. As part of the needed marketing exercise, we believe that a catalogue of case studies of deployed applications with real quantified business benefit, can help convince those wavering pragmatists. Perhaps more importantly, the lessons that can be drawn from such case studies may also be used to guide the efforts of new commercial agent technology providers, both in developing the technology itself, and in understanding the concerns and constraints of early adopters.