E. Yu (Univ. of Toronto, CA)
Agent software technology is rapidly becoming the technology of choice for advanced networked computing applications, such as in mobile and e-commerce. While much of the attention has focused on the software implementation technology, successful application of the technology requires more comprehensive (agent-oriented) information systems and software engineering approaches that are just beginning to emerge. In this talk, I will argue that AOIS needs to be founded on a conception of agent that addresses the relationship between a system and its environment, rather than on the more common implementation technology-centred conception of agent. Familiar agent characteristics such as autonomy, intentionality, and sociality need to be re-examined from this light. I will compare this perspective with some current proposals on agent-oriented software engineering methodology, and with recent developments in requirements engineering, and in enterprise modelling. Recent work based on the i* framework, inlcuding Tropos, at Toronto and elsewhere, will be briefly reviewed.