Linking Businesses for Competitive Advantage: A Mobile Agent-Based Approach

Abstract

In a highly competitive business environment, every organization is trying to achieve more using fewer resources. This is particularly true in this Internet era, where many businesses are moving from “brick-and-mortar”-based operation towards having at least an Internet presence, where e-commerce is fast gaining acceptance. Recent advances in mobile agent technology promise yet another powerful tool to gain competitive advantage—to deliver cost-effective services through utilizing Internet infrastructure. Such a development helps both individuals and organizations achieve higher productivity at lower cost. In this chapter, the authors describe an intelligent mobile agent-based system that links hotels and restaurants to provide gourmet goers with a convenient way of searching for their choice restaurants. The system sends off intelligent mobile agents to automatically roam the Internet, gather the relevant information about food and services from participating restaurants, and provide the most optimized selection as suggestions to help the users make their meals decision. This greatly reduces information overload for the users. Participating business establishments also benefit, through increased business.