When a patient calls 111, an operator - who is trained in the same way as a 999 operator - can send out an ambulance, put someone straight through to a nurse, bookan out-of-hours GP appointment, or direct the caller to a pharmacist or dentist.
Cars will book themselves in for servicing, hospitals will consult online diaries before scheduling anappointment, and fishing boats will sell their catch at market before reaching port, all thanks to these software agents.