Integrating E-Business XML Business Forms and Rule-Based Agent Technologies

This study investigates the role of extensible mark-up language (XML) business forms and agent-based computing to support negotiation, management and implementation of inter-organization business processes. We explore recently proposed standards for representing artificial agent exchanges through rule-based inference. An XML representational syntax for standard business forms is developed and applied to augment rule-based agents. A prototype investigates ways to combine knowledge-based agents and business forms to assist business and customers in Web-based conference registration. The implementation helps guide customer decisions and the combination of business forms and rules promotes understandability, testability and adaptability of the registration system.