The Internet is spawning many new markets and electronic commerce is changing many market conventions. Not only are old commercial practices being adapted to the new conditions of immediacy brought forth by the global networks, but new products and services, as well as new practices, are beginning to appear. There is already ample evidence that agent-based technologies will be crucial for these - developments. However many theoretical, technological, sociological, and legal -aspects will need to be addressed before such opportunities become a significant reality. In addition to streamlining traditional transactions, agents enable new types of transactions. Prices and other transaction dimensions need no longer to be fixed; selling agents can dynamically tailor merchant offerings to each consumer. Economies of scale become feasible in new markets when agents negotiate on special arbitration c- tracts. Dynamic business relationships will give rise to more competitively agile organizations. It is these new opportunities combined with substantial reduction in transaction costs that will revolutionize electronic commerce.

互联网正在催生许多新市场，电子商务正在改变许多市场惯例。不仅旧的商业惯例正在适应全球网络带来的新的即时条件，而且新的产品和服务以及新的惯例也开始出现。已经有充分的证据表明，基于代理的技术将是这些发展的关键。然而，在这些机会成为重大现实之前，许多理论、技术、社会学和法律方面都需要解决。除了简化传统事务之外，代理还支持新类型的事务。价格和其他交易维度不再需要固定；销售代理可以动态地为每个消费者定制商家产品。在新市场上，当代理人就特别仲裁合同进行谈判时，规模经济就变得可行了。动态的业务关系将产生更具竞争力的敏捷组织。正是这些新的机遇加上交易成本的大幅降低，将彻底改变电子商务。