Matchmaking is an important aspect of e-commerce interactions. Advanced matchmaking services require rich and flexible metadata that are not supported by currently available industry standard frameworks for e-commerce such as UDDI and ebXML. The semantic web initiative at W3C is gaining momentum and generating technologies and tools that might help bridge the gap between the current standard solutions and the requirement for advanced matchmaking services. In this paper we examine the problem of matchmaking, highlighting the features that a matchmaking service should exhibit and deriving requirements on metadata for description of services from a matchmaking point of view. We then assess a couple of standard frameworks for e-commerce against these requirements. Finally, we report on our experience of developing a semantic web based matchmaking prototype. In particular, we present our views on usefulness, adequacy, maturity and tool support of semantic web related technologies such as RDF and DAML. Keywords. Semantic Web, E-Commerce, Matchmaking Services, Automated Negotiation, Electronic Marketplaces, Ontology

If agents are to negotiate automatically with one another they need to follow a shared protocol. The protocol specifies the way in which negotiation should take place, including the flow of messages to be used. To date, most research in this area has focused on defining specific protocols for different kinds of interaction. Here we propose an alternative approach. We define a simple interaction protocol which can be used in all circumstances, and a general interaction framework using this protocol. This framework can be parameterized with different negotiation rules. By choosing different sets of rules, different negotiation mechanisms can be implemented. We present a taxonomy of such rules, together with examples of specific negotiation mechanisms. We also describe our implementation of the framework using the Jade multi-agent platform integrated with the Java Expert System Shell (Jess).

Among features often attributed to software agents are autonomy and mobility. Autonomy of e-commerce agents involves adaptability to engage in negotiations governed by mechanisms not known in advance, while their mobility entails such negotiations taking place at remote locations. This paper aims at combining adaptability with mobility, by joining rule-based mechanism representation with modular agent design, and at UML-formalizing selected aspects of the resulting system. Furthermore, we discuss the issue of agent mobility and argue why such agents have been proposed for the system under consideration.

Recently a new model agent-based e-commerce system was proposed, in which rule-based mechanism representation was combined with lightweight modular mobile agent design. Furthermore, need for agent mobility as the optimal solution to satisfy user needs was discussed. The aim of this paper is to introduce UML formalizations of most important agents that appear in the model system as well as presentation of its complete action diagram.

The note reports on the current status of an implementation of a rulebased negotiation mechanism in a model e-commerce multi-agent system. Here, we briefly describe the conceptual architecture of the system and its initial implementation utilizing JADE and JESS. A particular negotiation scenario involving English auctions performed in parallel is also discussed.

For software agents to become part of e-commerce they have to be flexible – to engage in negotiations of forms which are not known in advance, and mobile – to migrate to remote locations. This note aims at combining flexibility with mobility by joining rule-based mechanism representation with modular mobile agents. Furthermore, we focus on a more complete e-commerce scenario and address questions like: what happens before negotiations start and after they are finished, where from the purchase is actually made etc. Description of agent interactions in such a complete e-commerce scenario is presented.

Recently, we have proposed a comprehensive agent-based e-commerce system. While UML formalized, it lacked details how basic functions – e.g. user request to purchase a given product – are to be implemented. Furthermore, the “airline ticket reservation model ” used in the system involves time management issues that have not been addressed. The aim of the paper is to discuss the way in which the information flow and data transformations involved in it are to be implemented; assuming that information about products is to be ontologically represented. Furthermore, a simple way in which time information can be successfully managed to support the proposed product reservation approach will be discussed. 1.

Agent technology is often claimed to be the most natural approach for automating e-commerce business processes. Despite these claims, up till now, the most successful e-commerce systems are still based on humans to make the most important decisions in various stages of an e-commerce transaction. Consequently, it is di#cult to find successful actually implemented and working largescale agent-based e-commerce applications to confirm agents superiority. Here, we discuss an abstract e-commerce environment that allows agents of di#erent types to interact with each other and operate with an overarching goal of supporting an e-commerce transaction. A prototype system that implements this vision using JADE agent platform is also described. Finally, we report on experiments with the implemented system skeleton.

This note describes a sample implementation of automated negotiations in an e-commerce modeling multi-agent system. A specific set of rules is used for enforcing negotiation mechanisms. Discussion of system design and implementation using JADE and JESS is provided. Finally, an experiment involving multiple English auctions performed in parallel is discussed.

Abstract—Recently, a model multi-agent e-commerce system based on mobile buyer agents and transfer of strategy modules was proposed. In this paper a different approach to code mobility is introduced, where agent mobility is replaced by local agent creation supplemented by similar code mobility as in the original proposal. UML diagrams of agents involved in the new approach to mobility and the augmented system activity diagram are presented and discussed. Keywords—Agent system, agent mobility, code mobility, e-commerce, UML formalization. I.