AGENTLINK UPDATE # 29 --- 20 October 2000 This is the email newsletter of AgentLink -- Europe's Network of Excellence for Agent-based Computing. The AgentLink WWW site is http://www.AgentLink.org/ IMPORTANT: Please take the time to ensure that every member of your group receives a copy of the AgentLink update. If you have a group mail alias, why not get this alias to be added to the mailing list? To subscribe/unsubscribe to this mailing list simply send a request to mailto:coordinator@agentlink.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- * AgentLink II Membership Agreements for Existing Nodes * AgentLink II New Membership Applications * AgentLink News * IST Take-Up Measures * AgentCities IST Proposal ---------------------------------------------------------------------- * AgentLink II Membership Agreements for Existing Nodes The arrangements for membership of AL2 are not the same as AL1. AL2 is a distinct project, so all existing AgentLink nodes must complete and return signed membership agreements in order to retain membership. Details are available at http://www.agentlink.org/members/join-al2.html In essence, all members are required to sign a membership agreement with the coordinator. Any institution that does not provide such a membership agreement cannot be a member of AgentLink II, and will not be eligible for AgentLink support or resources. Many nodes have already returned these forms, but there are still several outstanding. It will still be possible to join AgentLink II later, but the benefits of membership will not apply retrospectively, and membership will only be possible from the date of the membership agreement itself. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- * AgentLink II New Membership Applications We are now open to new applications for membership from new organisations. Note that there are many new countries that are now eligible to join with full membership. Details are available at http://www.agentlink.org/members/newmembers-al2.html. In particular, organisations in all European Union member states are eligble to apply, as are those in associated states, including: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, the Republic of Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. We would like to encourage new applications from these new states in particular. If you have contacts or collaborate with people in these countries, please tell them about AgentLink and encourage them to apply. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- * AgentLink News The deadline for articles for Issue 6 has passed. However, given the difficulties in transition to AgentLink II, we are extending the deadline for another week until 27th October. If you are interested in contributing (whether you can make this deadline or not) please contact Paul Davidsson (mailto:Paul.Davidsson@ide.hk-r.se). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- * IST Take-Up Measures As indicated in AGENTLINK UPDATE # 28, the European Commission has issued an agent-related IST call for Take-Up project proposals. The call is open until 31st October, but it is expected that there will be another callearly next year. For further details of the current call, see AGENTLINK UPDATE # 28 http://www.agentlink.org/admin/docs/2000-008.txt In particular the Commission is keen to encourage "Trials" proposals from suppliers and users that demonstrate the application and use of agent technology. If you have queries relating to further calls, contact information for the Commission, or general advice in this area, email coordinator@AgentLink.org, and we will try to help. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- * AgentCities IST Proposal A consortium of European academic, research and industrial partners is currently putting together an EC IST proposal for a large-scale deployment of agent systems and services (under the name of Agentcities). The project will deploy a Europe-wide backbone of on-line agent platforms hosting agent-based city information services. Deployed agents and infrastructure will be publicly accessible over the Internet throughout the lifetime of the project - creating an open agent testbed. In addition, a "Take Up Action, Testbed/TRIAL" project is being proposed to enable others to incorporate their own platforms and services, exploiting the common resource for their own research and development purposes. The trial will support two types of members: * Users: wishing to participate in the testbed environment by deploying their own testbed node - linking this up with other agent platforms, accessing deployed agent services or bringing their own * Observers: interested in the evolution of the testbed to obtain easy access to information and participate in discussion of testbed specific issues. The project will deploy 13 initial network nodes (12 in Europe, 1 in the USA) each with its own services, and it is hoped that this number will grow to over 50 independent nodes by the end of the trial period. In the current pre-proposal stage, the project partners are seeking to gauge interest in the trial, and to determine an initial list of provisional trial participants. If your organisation would be interested in participating, check the project web site http://www.agentcities.org/EU/ for more details. ----------------------------------------------------------------------