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2 chapter contains examples of intelligent agents, arranged according to their appli cation areas. Chapter 7 closes with a prospective view of the future development of intelligent agents. Everyone concerned with the Internet and the new possibilities of information and communication technology knows that nowadays there is no area that is devel oping faster. The authors are aware of the dynamics of this research area and its effects when they describe such a fast developing area in a slow, traditional me dium like a book. One thing is sure today: when the book appears on the market, new intelligent agents will already exist and some of the hypotheses made by this book will have been shown to be incorrect. Why, despite this, does it make sense to write a classical book on this subject? Is there an alternative? Experience shows that the majority of the people in business and public life who make decisions on the use of new technologies continue to prefer books and articles in periodicals rather than electronic sources such as the Internet. Or is there some other reason for the enormous success of Nicolas Negroponte's book Being Digital, which we thank for multimedia and many concepts of the digital and networked world, and even intelligent agents? Today, a book is still the only way to establish a new area.

The rapid developments in information technology (IT) are expected to continue, with new application areas emerging. Historically, IT usage has focused on business and public administration; however, future advancements will increasingly target private households. This shift indicates a significant market dynamic, as forecasts suggest that by 1996, private households will surpass business and public administration in sales potential for home computers. Despite the widespread presence of PCs in homes, the significance of IT in private households has been underestimated by both business and academia. Some projects within the ESPRIT framework have explored home networks, and various experiments with interactive television are underway in Asia, Europe, and America. Additionally, the growth of the Internet and commercial online services highlights the rising importance of IT applications in the private sector. This burgeoning area, attracting more business interest, necessitates dedicated research efforts to explore its potential fully.