P. Gonçalves[1], G. D. Putnik[2]
pgoncalves@ipca.pt, putnikgd@dps.uminho.pt
(recebido em 11 de Abril de 2008; aceite em 12 de Maio de 2008)
Resumo. Este artigo apresenta um novo Interface de Comunicação Virtual (ICV), baseado em agentes, denominado E-Mask, que esconde a verdadeira aparência dos seus interlocutores. Depois de contextualizar a technologia subjacente aos Agentes da Microsoft, abordamos a implementação da virtualidade no BM_Virtual Enterprise Architecture Reference Model (BM-VEARM) com personagens “humanas”. São, também, apresentadas outras aplicações de agentes bem como do ICV. O E-Mask pode ser um potenciador na reconfiguração dinâmica de redes de Empresas Virtuais uma vez que, com este interface o tempo de comunicação entre utilizadores é mais curto.
Palavras-chave: Interface, comunicação virtual, reconfiguação dinâmica.
]]> Abstract. This paper presents a new agent-based Virtual Communication Interface (VCI), called E-Mask, which hides the real appearance of its interlocutors. After a contextualization of Microsoft Software Agent technology, we focus on the implementation of virtuality in the BM_Virtual Enterprise Architecture Reference Model (BM-VEARM) with human-like characters. Other applications of agent software as well as the VCI are also covered. We find that the E-Mask interface may be a dynamic reconfiguration enabler in Virtual Enterprise (VE) Networks since the communication time between end-users is shortened.
Keywords: Interface, virtual comunication, dynamic reconfiguration.
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]]>[1] Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave, Higher School of Technology, Barcelos, Portugal
[2] University of Minho, School of Engineering, Dept. of Production and Systems Engineering, Guimarães, Portugal
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