7.6 Conclusion

Software agents have been around for years , but the actual implementation of intelligent agents is still in its early stages. As agents gain wider acceptance and become more sophisticated, they will become a major factor in the future of the Internet and in me-centric computing. Intelligent agents will not completely replace today's way of working on the Internet or networked appliances, but they will make information gathering much easier for users and consumers. Instead of searching through lists and lists of unwanted sites, users could ask their agents to start searching, and in a few moments, the agents will come back with just the information that is needed.

If all security- related issues can be solved in the near future, the trust in software agents will increase and they can start to take over smaller jobs for their masters. Over time, these agents will be more sophisticated and work in groups, making it possible to give them more complex tasks as well. As said during the introduction of this chapter, agents will be the glue that holds together the entire me-centric computing environment on a loose basis, as they can work even if they are not able to reach their masters all the time or communicate with others.

We have now laid most of the foundation required for building the kinds of intelligent appliances that will put people at the center of information technology. In the next chapter, we will illustrate how one builds the right appliances for a me-centric scenario. That chapter shows which technology is required and how to deploy it within an existing environment.