Agents, mobility, and M-services: Creating the next generation applications and infrastructure on mobile ad-hoc networks

With the advent of third generation wireless infrastructure, and the simultaneous emergence of pervasive connectivity for all devices based on Bluetooth like systems for ad-hoc networks, a new vista is open for research in the area of mobile systems. We describe here our ideas for realizing pervasive computing systems based on the cooperation of autonomous, dynamic and adaptive components (hardware as well as software) which are located in vicinity of one another. This is significantly different from "fixed-infrastructure-based", mobile client/server computing between wirelessly connected PDAs and network services. It will enable a new class of applications that effectively exploit mobility and pervasive computing. We address several research problems that span the fields of data management and pervasive computing using multiagent systems as the enabling technology. We propose new agent frameworks and service discovery and delivery protocols most suitable to this new and emerging environment. We are building prototypes and applications in the context of mobile electronic commerce within dynamic communities of ad-hoc mobile services.