Intelligent Agents for Knowledge Management in E-Commerce: Opportunities and Challenges

E-commerce has become a key aspect of the global business environment, causing fundamental changes in markets and organisational structures. This chapter considers how knowledge management, the latest management approach aimed at improving business performance, can create new business opportunities in the new business environment that is defined by electronic commerce. Knowledge management deals with the systematic generation, codification and transfer of knowledge and can be supported by a number of technologies, known as knowledge management tools. It has been argued that intelligent systems can offer additional capabilities and advantages in comparison with more traditional information technologies. This chapter investigates the potential of intelligent agent-based software for more effective knowledge management in the context of e-commerce, adopting the perspective of an SME involved in development of intelligent agents-based knowledge management software. The chapter concludes with a research agenda for knowledge management research in e-commerce.