A Microsoft Agent is an animated character created with Microsoft Agent that can appear on your desktop. They were popular around the late 90s to early 2000s as many software and websites were using this technology. An example of a Microsoft Agent is Clippy, a metal paperclip that was supposed to assist the user in Microsoft Office. Unfortunately, Microsoft Agents are no longer as common anymore after Microsoft Agent was discontinued.
Microsoft Agent was a technology developed by Microsoft Corporation which allows for animated characters to appear on your desktop. It was released on September 8th, 1997 and was used on many sites from the late 90s to the early 2000s. It was a successor to its previous software Microsoft Bob, which also allows for displaying animated characters on your desktop. The first four Microsoft Agent characters originally released by Microsoft were Merlin, Genie, Peedy, and Robby. Microsoft Agent was used in many programs such as Microsoft Office, and BonziBUDDY. Unfortunately, it was discontinued in 2009 likely due to the backlash against the Office Assistants by users and the controversy of BonziBUDDY at the time.
For character installation guide, click here. For the setup guide, click here.