Abstract: A system and method is disclosed that provides an exchange marketplace for the use of vacation properties and other assets such as airplanes, yachts, etc. An inventory of items available for purchase or auction, each representing a use of an asset, is maintained. Auction bids or offers to purchase items in the inventory may be made either by offering to pay cash or by offering in trade a new item also representing use of an asset. An equivalent cash value is determined for new items offered in trade, and the transaction allowed to proceed if the determined value of the new item offered equals or exceeds the price of current bid of the item sought. The system thus allows for maximum flexibility in renting and trading the use of vacation properties and other assets.

Abstract: A system and method for conducting electronic business between buyers and sellers is provided. The system and method disclose a means for at least one buyer to request and receive online bids from one or more sellers of a particular product according to a price curve or price schedule. A price schedule or curve for a product defining a product's unit price as a function of the volume of product ordered. Upon receipt of a plurality of bids from sellers, a buyer can then select a seller-supplier based at least in part on the price schedule.

Abstract: A quotation service platform customer service calls comprises a mobile device in wireless communication with a remote server. The server tracks the progress of the service call, provides a quotation for specified products to be installed, generates and delivers a contract to the device and supports scheduling of an installation. The server also provides a records management utility accessible from the device.

Abstract: A system and method for a supplier to offer multiple products to a first person and multiple pre-owned products to a second person is disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for selecting a tax professional. In an embodiment, one or more search criteria are received from a user. In addition, rating information is generated and associated with each of a plurality of professional users. The plurality of professional users may be filtered based on the one or more search criteria and the rating information to identify a subset of one or more professional users. The identified subset of one or more professional users is then provided to the user.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for buyers to specify goods and services then aggregate demand to reduce price and minimize seller surplus. This enables consumers and small organizations to specify and obtain goods and services on terms usually available only to large organizations. An author can draft a RFQ or RFP then solicit comments and endorsements from opinion leaders who influence demand. The author will then publish the RFQ or RFP globally to prospective buyers to solicit binding commitments then offer the RFQ or RFP globally to prospective sellers to solicit binding bids. As the bid price declines the number of buyers will increase motivating a further reduction in bid price. The author can accept or reject each bid or make a counter-offer. If a bid is accepted, payment is exchanged for the specified goods and services.

Abstract: A system and method for allocating conditional purchase offers (CPO) among a plurality of agency-based and broadcast-based sellers in a buyer-driven commerce system. In one embodiment, the system determines which agency-based or broadcast-based sellers can fulfill or satisfy the CPO and orders those sellers in a priority order. In another embodiment, the priority is determined by relative market share and number of recent opportunities to satisfy the CPO. In another embodiment, the priority is also determined by metrics and buyer information. In another embodiment, the priority is determined randomly. The system ensures that when a buyer can satisfy the CPO at multiple prices levels, the highest price level fulfills the CPO. This ensures maximum seller revenue for each CPO.

Abstract: Embodiments of computer-implemented systems and methods for listing on a marketplace an item, or batch-listing a plurality of items, previously stored on a mobile device. One example embodiment comprises receiving a request from the mobile device for a price estimate for the prospective sale of an item or a plurality of items and subsequently receiving a request to list the item or a plurality of items. The listing process may include receiving images of one or more items, receiving data associated with the one or more items, and using the data, listing the one or more items on the marketplace.

Abstract: A method and a system to automatically coordinate remote inspectors are provided. Initially, a listing is identified for remote inspection in an online publication system. The listing may describe an item for sale that is, in turn, associated with a geographical location and a category. One or more remote inspectors are identified based on the geographical location and the category associated with the item for sale. The listing and respective profiles of each of the one or more remote inspectors is published to a buyer. A selection of a selected remote inspector is received from the buyer. A template inspection report is provided to the selected remote inspector. Once the remote inspector has inspected the item for sale, the buyer is provided a completed inspection report received from the selected remote inspector.

Abstract: Systems, apparatus and methods that give selling actors the abilities and means to sell products and services by providing dynamic offers to buying actors subject to buying actors locations and information received by a selling actor sever. Systems, apparatus and methods that give selling actors the abilities and means to acquire information from the environment in the proximity of mobile device holders and use this information to generate dynamic offers on a selling actor server.

Abstract: Systems and methods for assisting a consumer in negotiating with a plurality of sellers for the purchase of products and/or services are provided. A consumer provides search criteria for generating a list of potential sellers to participate in the negotiations. From this list, the consumer selects a plurality of sellers to receive invitations to participate in the negotiations. Invitations are then sent to each of the sellers selected by the consumer inviting each of the sellers to participate in the negotiations. Each of the sellers may opt-in or opt-out of the negotiations. Once all sellers have opted-in or opted-out, either directly or indirectly, the negotiations with the sellers that have opted-in begin. During a pre-determined time period, each of the participating sellers may update quotes for the purchase of the product. At the end of the time period, the consumer may select the winning seller and complete the transaction.

Abstract: Systems and methods for improving the liquidity and distribution network for luxury and other illiquid items are provided. These systems and methods preferably include the trading of futures and options contracts, which will provide the liquidity and distribution network for luxury items. Possible embodiments of these systems and methods include the trading of futures and options contracts for diamonds and wine. Another embodiment of this invention preferably includes generating indexes for diamond prices, wine prices, luxury item prices, housing values, mortgage prepayments, privately-held companies or for anything with from sufficiently liquid points of value. Another embodiment of this invention preferably includes a centralized data base for retrieving closing and current auction prices for determining the value of, and best method for the auctioning of various items. The data provided by this data base would improve liquidity by creating greater price transparency.

Abstract: System and method for availability based on limited-time offerings and transactions. One embodiment of the present invention provides a system and method that, based on a set of known preferences and historic transactions with customers, culls from a customer database those customers most likely to close a transaction in a short time. The selected customers are notified of the offer, and the system processes the customers responses in a timely manner, and thus allow fleeting inventories to be sold off before they expire.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a trade-in price quotation to a mobile device. The system receives from the mobile device a quote request including information associated with at least one characteristic of the mobile device, such as the make and model of the mobile device. The system interprets the information to identify the at least one characteristic of the mobile device and sends the at least one characteristic to a pricing database that returns a mobile device value amount based at least in part upon the at least one characteristic of the mobile device. The system calculates a trade-in price quotation based upon at least the mobile device value amount and sends the trade-in price quotation to the mobile device.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a trade-in price quotation to a first mobile device and comparing the first mobile device against a second mobile device. The system receives from the first mobile device a quote and compare request including information associated with a characteristic of each of the mobile devices. The system receives a mobile device value amount for the first mobile device based upon the information associated with the characteristic of the first mobile device, calculates a trade-in price quotation based upon the mobile device value amount for the first mobile device, and receives a retail price of the second mobile device based upon the information associated with a characteristic of the second mobile device, to calculate a net price of the second mobile device, and sends the trade-in price quotation and the net price to the first mobile device.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium, and including a method for providing content. The method comprises receiving a query from a client device, and responsive to the query, identifying search results including one or more resources. The method further comprises, for at least one resource, determining, a size of a data transfer required to access the one resource. The method further comprises providing the search results including providing a label associated with the one resource indicative of a rate-sensitive cost to download the item including determining a true cost to download the item from at least one carrier, determining a price sensitivity of the user or a group of users to which the user belongs based on an evaluation of historical information for downloads and costs incurred for each, and calculating the rate-sensitive cost based on the true cost and determined price sensitivity.

Abstract: Various systems and methods that may relate to referral and/or delivery services are described. Some embodiments may include communication using a payment processing device. Various other embodiments are described.

Abstract: A computerized system for sale of products having non pre-catalogued parameters in a multi-lingual environment wherein a buyer and a seller communicate in different languages, the system including a non pre-catalogued parameter database, a listing engine operative to prompt in a first language a listing seller to enter multiple non pre-catalogued parameters relating to a product being listed and to store the non pre-catalogued parameters in the non pre-catalogued parameter database and a non pre-catalogued multiple language parameter description engine which is operative to provide human-readable descriptions of the non pre-catalogued parameters in at least one language other than the first language.

Abstract: A bid processing system receives a project description and a baseline estimate for the project. The project is opened for bidding to multiple potential bidders. Each of the potential bidders have access to the project description and the baseline estimate for the project. The bid processing system receives multiple bids for the project and calculates a bid value associated with each of the multiple bids. The system then determines a best bid value from the plurality of received bids and awards the project to the bidder associated with the best bid value.

Abstract: A present invention embodiment provides a system for connecting service seekers with service providers in order for the service providers to perform a desired service. The system handles service requests and comprises a computer system including at least one processor. The system receives one or more service requests from service seekers requesting performance of a service. Service providers that provide the requested services are identified based on at least the current location of the service providers relative to the location for performing the requested service. The system further facilitates communication between the service seekers and the identified service providers. Embodiments of the present invention further include a method and computer program product for handling service requests in substantially the same manner described above.

Abstract: An automated bid management process speeds up the comparison of product pricing from multiple suppliers. The process and system of the present invention can determine the optimal order combination to result in the greatest savings to the buyer. The bid management process allows suppliers to submit their pricing directly into an application. Buyers have the ability to create a personal marketplace within the system and have select suppliers bid for their business. Submitting the orders can be fully automated and the application can provide controls and reporting system to allow full control and personalization of the process. The system and methods can take all the predetermined information in the system, such as minimum orders, delivery data, buyer preferences, and the like, and automatically award the order to the supplier(s) that offer the greatest savings to the buyer.

Abstract: Purchasing, redemption and settlement systems and methods are provided to communicate with a buyer to establish a first price for a product. The purchasing system may also arrange for the buyer to take possession of the product at a retailer, different from the seller, that offers the product for sale at a second price. The buyer provides a payment, based on the first price, to the purchasing system in exchange for the right to take possession of the product at the retailer. The purchasing system transmits redemption information to the buyer. The redemption information may include information that enables the creation of a voucher to be used when taking possession of the product. The purchasing system may also receive information related to an attempt by the buyer to take possession of the product from the retailer.

Abstract: Various embodiments are described relating to systems for responding to RFPs and processes for making the same. The systems can include a container storing multiple recordable media containing information for responding to an RFP. The recordable media can be of different types. The information stored in each recordable media can be the same or only a portion of the information stored in each recordable media can be the same. The container and recordable media can be configured to identify the recipient of the system using, for example, colors, logos, words, structures, or the like (or combinations thereof).

Abstract: A method of recommending vendors to bid on a print job may include identifying a print job for which a recommendation of vendors to bid on the print job is desired and identifying one or more vendors as potential bidders for the print job. The method may include, for each identified vendor, determining, by a computing device, a bidding probability associated with the vendor, a winning probability associated with the vendor, a recommendation probability associated with the vendor, and identifying the vendor as a recommended vendor based on the associated recommendation probability. The method may include notifying a user of the recommended vendors.

Abstract: Articles such as compact discs or electronic files are traded among a plurality of members who are registered in a common community. Each member has an account including a trading credit balance and a mailing address. A user interface is provided that allows a member to enter articles that the member owns and is willing to trade and articles that the member wants to own. The user interface also receives article trading instruction messages. An administration computer hosts the plurality of members and facilitates article trades among the members. The administration computer identifies matches between owned and wanted articles. A priority algorithm is used to select the member who will receive the article if there is more than one member who wants an article that another member owns and is willing to trade.

Abstract: A business object model, which reflects data that is used during a given business transaction, is utilized to generate interfaces. This business object model facilitates commercial transactions by providing consistent interfaces that are suitable for use across industries, across businesses, and across different departments within a business during a business transaction. In some operations, software creates, updates, or otherwise processes information related to a customer quote and/or a customer quote request business object.

Abstract: A method and system for auctioning or sales of deliverable items via the Internet permit customers to purchase or bid on items. Delivery of the item is first scheduled to a first bidder or purchaser and then in response to a second bidder or purchaser's bid or purchase, may be rescheduled for delivery to the second bidder or purchaser. A replacement item may be offered to a losing bidder and in the case of a purchase, may be automatically scheduled for delivery to a purchaser whose item has been re-scheduled for delivery to another.

Abstract: In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, methods and systems disclosed herein provide for negotiating product purchase with an electronic device. An example method includes acquiring product data from a product. The method also includes determining purchase offer information based on the product data. Further, the method includes negotiating purchase of the product based on the purchase offer information.

Abstract: Products and processes are provided in which information is received about a post relating to an item to be sold via a posting site. A posting payment award is determined. The posting payment award may be determined by calculating a posting payment amount. The posting award is provided in the form of a prominent feature of the post on the posting site.

Abstract: A method on a server for managing sales activities and group buying offers for a plurality of users over a communications network is disclosed. The method includes receiving sales transaction data from the users, receiving recruit enrollment data from the users, processing the sales transaction data and the recruit enrollment data to generate aggregate data pertaining to sales, transmitting the aggregate data to the users, receiving a group buying offer, transmitting the group buying offer to the users, receiving acceptances of the group buying offer, calculating a number of acceptances of the group buying offer, effectuating a sale of the product or service of the group buying offer to each of the users who accepted the offer, if the number of acceptances of the group buying offer is greater than a minimum number, and attributing a particular sale to a recruiter, so as to award a commission.

Abstract: A system and method for an event marketplace. The system comprises a first interface for communicating with a plurality of user devices; a second interface for communicating with a plurality of systems of service providers; a progressive accuracy module for at least iteratively computing a set of total cost estimations of the event based in part on an event specification and information retrieved from one or more of the plurality of systems of service providers; and a cost optimizer for providing at least an optimal set of service providers matching the event specification, wherein the optimal set of service providers is ranked by their total cost estimations, the total cost estimation is a function of at least a proposal for a respective service.

Abstract: The invention generally relates to consumer product lifecycle maintenance and systems and methods therefor. The invention generally involves receiving and storing a consumer registration of a tangible asset, matching a provider to the consumer based on a later-arising maintenance need associated with the asset and/or follow-on items related to the asset such as accessories, consumables, direct replacements and similar items, and relaying a communication from the provider to the consumer.

Abstract: An agreement is negotiated on behalf of a first party. A region (32) of acceptable terms for the first party is determined. A plurality of offers (15) from a second party is analyzed to detect values for terms that indicate a change in strategy used by the second party when making the plurality of offers (15). A region (57) of acceptable terms for the second party is estimated based on detected locations of changes in strategy. Terms for a new offer (14) from a first party to the second party are provided. The terms of the new offer (14) are within the region (32) of acceptable terms for the first party within a threshold distance from the estimated region (57) of acceptable terms for the second party.

Abstract: A method for displaying values specified in a number of offers for a number of offer variables with respect to price includes receiving data for multiple offers that reflects values specified in the offers for multiple offer variables and generating a display of the received data. The display includes multiple offer variable windows that are each associated with an offer variable. Each offer variable window includes an offer price axis representing a range of offer prices and an offer variable axis substantially perpendicular to the offer price axis that represents a range of values for the offer variable associated with the offer variable window. Each offer variable window includes multiple bars. Each bar represents a value specified in offers for the offer variable associated with the offer variable window and is positioned with respect to the offer price axis according to an offer price specified in the offers.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product are provided for applying an offer scheme to usage data using a user interface. In operation, usage data associated with a user is received from a server. Additionally, one or more offer schemes are displayed to the user using a user interface. Furthermore, the user is allowed to apply the one or more offer schemes to the usage data, utilizing the user interface. Still yet, the user is allowed to select one of the one or more offer schemes based on a result of the application, utilizing the user interface.

Abstract: A method and system are provided that enable buyers and sellers to communicate with each other and to negotiate the purchase terms of featured merchandise in a group-buying opportunity. Sellers and buyers may use various forms of on-line group-buying mechanisms in conjunction with the negotiation features of the invention. Buyers may send various inquiries to sellers regarding merchandise offered for sale through the online group-buying sale. Sellers may respond to buyer questions and queries, and in some instances, sellers may communicate instructions to the on-line group-buying mechanism to alter the course of an on-line group-buying sale in progress, e.g., a further reduction in price. The method and system further provides a mechanism for calculating a demand curve based on received buyer offers and applying the demand curve to an on-line group-buying sale.

Abstract: A supplier for commerce is approved of. In the event activity in a buyer operated application occurs, authorization of the supplier is initiated. Via a supplier network, information about the supplier with respect to a buyer is received. The received information includes a structured commerce profile for the supplier. The received information is made available to the buyer to make a decision regarding whether to approve of the supplier. The decision is received from the buyer. In the event the received decision is to approve of the supplier, an indication associated with adding the supplier to an approved supplier list in a buyer operated application is sent.

Abstract: A system includes a receiving module to receive a purchase inquiry for a cloud computing service from a consumer in a first currency. A pricing module is used to price-out the cloud computing service from a provider where the cloud computing service is provided in a second currency. A reconciliation module reconciles the purchase of the cloud computing service in the consumer's geographical location and currency with the provider's location and currency.

Abstract: A system and method for bidding freight transportation is disclosed. The system and method includes means for comparing bids and determining differences in the bids from different carriers based on a number of different input parameters. The system and method also includes means for comparing bids to a historical baseline and as the bidding process goes through an iterative process.

Abstract: A merchandise trading system and method is disclosed. In one embodiment, a server may randomly assign inventory items to a plurality of customers and notify the customers of which items they have been assigned. The server may provide an interface by which the customers may negotiate trades of assigned items. At the end of a trading session, the items may be distributed to the customers to whom the items are assigned at the end of the trading session. The server may assign items in a random manner, or items may be assigned such that each customer receives a set of items with a minimum value. The server may provide an interface by which customers may select one or more items that are assigned to them to carry those selected items over to another trading session.

Abstract: An interactive request for proposal and response analysis system and method whereby a user may use a user workstation to access a list of subjective characteristics for buildings and enter user specific preferences for at least some of the subjective characteristics. An agent may use an agent workstation to select buildings for receiving requests for proposals, where the requests for proposals each includes the list of subjective characteristics, and send the requests for proposals to landlords for the buildings. The landlords may use at least one landlord workstation to receive and access the requests tor proposals and each landlord may enter a response for each subjective characteristic, where the entered responses for the subjective characteristics. The entered user specific preferences are compared with the entered landlord responses for the subjective characteristics for each of the plurality of buildings and a score is calculated for each building based on the comparison.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of electronically conducting virtual exchange under negotiation of goods and services in a system over a communication network, the system comprising: web server displaying the detailed data in respect of exchangeable commodity or services; a hand-held device enabled to access the web server via internet, the device having at least one input means, a processor, and a display means; and a client node configured to communicate in real time through the web-server with the hand-held device, the method comprising the steps of inputting a base data by the hand0-held device via the internet, the data representing selection of one a commodity and service; the features including price of the Selected Commodity or product displayed on the web server transmitted to the hand-held device in the form of animated characters; transmitting an offered price data to the client node through the web Server by the hand-held device, determining the acceptability or otherwise of the offered price of

Abstract: A system and method for providing a multiple party order coordination system includes a process for providing a multiple party order coordination system whereby a given consumer, i.e., a first party, is provided the opportunity to try and combine one or more of the given consumer's product and/or service orders with one or more other consumers' product and/or service orders, i.e., with one or more other parties' product and/or service orders, into a combined multiple party order. A communication system is provided whereby the multiple parties can communicate, and/or negotiate, and/or coordinate, the merger/combination of their respective orders and establish one or more operating parameters such as, but not limited to, purchase dates, delivery dates, delivery locations, purchase price, and payment method and timing.

Abstract: Computer-implemented methods and systems of providing a volume and revenue maximizing retail sales platform is provided. In some embodiments, a sales offering of one or more comparable items associated with a vendor(s) is transmitted, by a network server, to a plurality of potential buyers. Purchase offers are received from each of a plurality of interested buyers during a sales offer period. A first average purchase offer is determined by an application computer processor, comprising an average of at least a portion of the purchase offers received. The first average purchase offer is compared with a sales trigger price associated with the vendor(s). A sale is executed to each interested buyer whose purchase offer was included in the first average purchase offer, when the first average purchase offer is within a predefined range associated with the sales trigger price, and when a first predefined volume of purchase offers have been received.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for operating an exchange service for renewable energy resources. In one embodiment, an exchange service, implemented on an exchange entity server, maintains a database of pre-approved assets. The exchange server can operate a marketplace, allowing other provider entities to place a bid for installing the renewable energy setup at a location associated with the asset. Examples of the provider entities include a developer entity, a manufacturer entity, a financier entity, etc. In embodiments, the marketplace enables interaction among the provider entities to enable the provider entities to develop and place a composite bid for a selected asset available through the marketplace.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method may comprise accessing a database comprising construction permitting information over a computer network; collecting construction permitting information for a plurality of construction projects from the accessed database and storing the collected construction permitting information. Each of the construction protects may be associated with a respective identified party. Information corresponding the plurality of construction projects may then be aggregated into a plurality of aggregated requests for quotes (RFQs), which may be stored in an RFQ database that is selectively accessible over the computer network. One or more vendor offers may be received against one or more of the aggregated RFQs. The vendor offer may be only selectively visible to the respective identified parties associated with the constructions projects against which the vendor offer has been received.

Abstract: A method on a server for managing discount offers for a plurality of users over a communications network. The method includes receiving a discount offer, wherein a discount offer comprises at least a product or service description, an initial price, a discount price less than the initial price, a minimum number of acceptances and a time deadline, and transmitting the discount offer to the plurality of users. The method further includes receiving acceptances of the discount offer, and detecting attainment of a predefined time before the time deadline. The method further includes decreasing the minimum number of acceptances by a numerical decrement, if the number of acceptances is less than the minimum number of acceptances at the predefined time before the time deadline, and re-transmitting the discount offer with a decreased minimum number of acceptances to the mobile computers of the plurality of users.

Abstract: A computer system includes a processor; and a memory storage device in communication with the processor. The processor is adapted to: receive via a computer communications network a user identification and an identification of an electronic file having user-generated insurance-related data; provide an output signal for display to the user a prompt for the user to provide mapping data mapping a plurality of insurance-related data fields data identifiers in the user-data electronic file; receive mapping data in response to the prompt; access the user electronic file; employing the received mapping data, map data elements identified in the user-data electronic file, to a document in a predetermined format; verify that the received mapped data constitutes complete data to submit in connection with an insurance transaction; and provide an output signal including data constituting the document in a predetermined format to a system for further processing in accordance with an insurance transaction.

Abstract: Systems, methods and computer program products for processing inputs of various formats to be used in an auction are described. In some implementations, a conversion application can be used to assist a user in setting a conversion ratio by which a service can be valued (e.g., for converting values between commercial and proprietary currency). In some implementations, a cash value of the service to be rendered can be defined. In these implementations, the conversion application can facilitate the determination of an appropriate conversion ratio by which the cash value can be converted to other currency value (e.g., to other proprietary currency).

Abstract: A system and method enables sellers to define a secret shared with an on-line payment provider when listing an item or service for purchase. Consumers deposit funds into an on-line escrow or holding account before committing to a financial on-line transaction or purchase. Once an item is located, the consumer may contact the seller for additional information. By placing funds in escrow, the seller may be more willing to spend the time and effort to deal with the consumer. The consumer, in turn, receives more information to make a purchasing decision. If the transaction is to be completed, the consumer instructs the payment provider maintaining the escrow account to release the funds to the seller's account. The seller is notified by the payment provider, where the notification includes the secret. This enables the seller to authenticate the confirmation message.