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connectAgent from MAT is a unique software product that uses mobile agent technology to link up various computer systems within your company or between your company and its business partners. Using the latest Java and Internet technologies, connectAgent offers an easy to implement, secure and robust alternative to complex and costly systems integration work.

connectAgent enables applications in multiple enterprises to be easily integrated, supporting the deployment of cutting-edge business processes across the Internet without compromising security. connectAgent enables the building of solutions with the following characteristics:

- Business-to-Business Integration - connectAgent's mobile agent technology enables secure and robust application integration between different organizations. For example, a Help Desk application in one company and a Field Service Dispatch application at an outsourced business partner.

- Integration without Compromising Security – connectAgent mobile agents carry their own digital signatures that dictate which applications they can interact with and determine how they can interact. Also, where agents carry financial or other sensitive information, they can be encrypted to ensure the security of this information.

- Easy Implementation and Integration - connectAgent requires no modification of mission-critical packaged or legacy applications and can be integrated into a customers MIS environment with minimal disruption and cost.

- Complete Flexibility - Customers have the freedom to define their own business rules and processes using the HERMC business logic definition tool or similar Java based development tools.

- Point-To-Point Architecture – connectAgent uses a quickly implemented approach to integration that does not require dedicated integration servers. connectAgent's servers are Java Virtual Machines that can run on existing application servers and which communicate with each other over the Internet when required to do so.

- Disconnected Computing Using the Internet - Mobile agent technology does not require persistent network connections. This enables connectAgent to operate over low-cost networks such as the Internet, a company's Intranet, dial-up or even wireless networks.

- Platform, Database and Environment Independence – Java mobile agents can run on virtually any operating system or against virtually any database or file structure. Also, Java mobile agents can run in environments such as laptop PCs and intelligent phones.

Who Needs connectAgent?

Organizations that need quickly implemented integration between legacy, packaged or Internet applications without making changes to these applications and without major disruption to their business operations.

Current connectAgent Offering

connectAgent is initially targeted at the Help-Desk and Field Service market and this is reflected in its support for leading applications in this market such as Remedy, Vantive and ASTEA. In addition, connectAgent also supports industry standard databases such as Microsoft Access, and terminal emulation systems that enable connectivity into legacy applications. Future releases of connectAgent will offer support for leading ERP packages such as SAP.

connectAgent consists of the following components:

- Application Plug-ins function as the interface for each application so that the Service Engine does not have to deal with any application-specific interface programming.

- HERMC Development Tool - an important resource that maintains and updates the business rules to fit the continuously changing business environment.

- Service Engine - business logic associated with each application is implemented and executed within the connectAgent Service Engine. The Service Engine supports many of the basic functions necessary to automate application integration and therefore enables the developer to concentrate on building business logic not infrastructure.

- connectAgent Agent Server - ensures robust operation and reliable transport of agents and events using a two-phase commit protocol. It maintains security over agents and controls their access to facilities and applications, offering an administration interface for management of agents and security policies.

Summary

MAT believes that, as Enterprise Application Integration and Business-to-Business computing become "must-have" capabilities for most enterprises, connectAgent can be the foundation of this new business paradigm and of the new generation of applications that will be created to support it. connectAgent leverages low-cost Internet connectivity between companies, their customers and their trading partners and this directly translates into greater business efficiency, increased revenue opportunities and cost savings.