A framework for applying intelligent agents to support electronic trading

The purpose of this paper is to study how Intelligent Agents (IAs) can be used to facilitate electronic trading. An IA is a software program designed for performing a specific task based on its own knowledge and the message it received. Given the increased complexity of Internet services, many IAs are useful to make electronic markets more effective. In the paper, activities and structures of electronic markets are reviewed and discussed with respect to the coordination mechanism and primitive activities. This is followed by an analysis of IAs useful for electronic commerce (EC). A three-layer architecture for organizing IAs for EC is developed. Finally, application of the framework to support EC and related issues are presented. The findings are useful for implementing a more effective environment for EC. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.