This carefully arranged book is mainly based on work done by the Intelligent Systems Research Group at BT Laboratories, essentially in cooperation with internationally leading scientists from outside BT. It opens with a detailed introduction surveying the area and putting the work presented in context. Conceptual issues surrounding intelligent agents and multi-agent systems are investigated and the practical and industrial applicability of this exciting new technology is demonstrated. One section is devoted to the rationale, philosophy, and techniques of the emerging area of soft computing. The final section outlines the broader context in dealing with machine intelligence in general and intelligent software systems in particular.