<s>
Forté	B-Protocol
Agent	I-Protocol
is	O
an	O
email	O
and	O
Usenet	B-Application
news	I-Application
client	O
used	O
on	O
the	O
Windows	B-Application
operating	I-Application
system	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Agent	O
was	O
conceived	O
,	O
designed	O
and	O
developed	O
by	O
Mark	O
Sidell	O
and	O
the	O
team	O
at	O
Forté	B-Protocol
Internet	I-Protocol
Software	I-Protocol
in	O
1994	O
to	O
address	O
the	O
need	O
for	O
an	O
online/offline	O
newsreader	B-Protocol
which	O
capitalized	O
on	O
the	O
emerging	O
Windows	B-Application
GUI	B-Application
framework	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
1995	O
,	O
Agent	O
had	O
expanded	O
to	O
become	O
a	O
full-featured	O
email	O
client	O
and	O
remains	O
a	O
widely	O
used	O
application	O
for	O
integrating	O
news	O
and	O
email	O
communication	O
on	O
Windows	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Agent	O
supports	O
POP	B-Protocol
email	I-Protocol
but	O
not	O
IMAP	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Agent	O
's	O
Usenet	B-Application
features	O
include	O
access	O
to	O
multiple	O
news	B-Application
servers	I-Application
,	O
import/export	O
of	O
NZB	B-Application
files	I-Application
,	O
threaded	O
discussions	O
and	O
a	O
highly	O
configurable	O
user	O
interface	O
which	O
has	O
been	O
criticized	O
as	O
difficult	O
to	O
use	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Originally	O
called	O
Forte	O
Advanced	O
Management	O
Systems	O
,	O
Forté	B-Protocol
Internet	I-Protocol
Software	I-Protocol
,	O
produced	O
in	O
the	O
1980s	O
and	O
1990s	O
enterprise-level	O
products	O
including	O
network	O
optimization	O
and	O
station	O
administration	O
tools	O
that	O
were	O
licensed	O
by	O
Nortel	O
Networks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Now	O
known	O
as	O
Forté	B-Protocol
Internet	I-Protocol
Software	I-Protocol
,	O
this	O
group	O
continues	O
to	O
develop	O
Agent	O
and	O
to	O
research	O
the	O
areas	O
of	O
social	O
software	O
,	O
email	O
and	O
wireless	O
communications	O
using	O
trust	O
networks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2003	O
,	O
Forté	O
created	O
Forté	O
Internet	O
Services	O
,	O
which	O
offers	O
Agent	O
Premium	O
Newsgroups	O
(	O
APN	O
)	O
,	O
a	O
high-speed	O
,	O
high-retention	O
Usenet	B-Application
news	I-Application
service	O
.	O
</s>
