Abstract: A multi-parameter proposal is accepted by a proposal assessor which passes the initial proposal to a preference mapper which acts to reduce the number of parameters in the initial proposal. The negotiation is then carried out using a strategy designed to operate on the lower number of parameters. Counter proposals are expanded using the preference mapper so that counter proposals are expressed in substantially the same form as the incoming proposals.

Abstract: In many electronic auctions, the auction house will usually set a fixed time for the auction to end and the highest bidder at the termination of the auction is declared the winner. Various bidding strategies are employed by human traders to try to secure goods at artificially low prices, one such strategy being to delay bidding until very close to the deadline for the close of bidding. An automated bidding agent 1 and method of operating the bidding agent 1 are disclosed which have the capacity to evaluate the appropriate last minute bid to place to maximise the chances of securing the goods bid for. The bidding agent 1 comprises a bid model that processes auction data from the e-auction 5 of interest and user preferences input by the user to evaluate the optimal last minute bid to place.

Abstract: A method and associated apparatus for negotiating automatically involve the following. A committing and undeniable negotiation proposal is submitted anonymously by a participant to a central server prior to agreement formation. The server matches a compatible proposal to the participant's committing and undeniable negotiation proposal to form an agreement. The server verifies, with the participant's collaboration, that the matched committing and undeniable proposal forming the agreement belongs to the participant.

Abstract: There is provided an automated negotiation agent 1 and method of evaluating risk and trust from different contractual viewpoints during electronic negotiation of contracts, preferably e-contracts, in a business to business environment. The negotiation agent 1 on receiving a contract proposal from another agent 15, analyses the contract proposal from different viewpoints to determine measures of the risk and trust involved. A response 20 is formulated from the measures of risk and trust, and is returned to the other agent 15. The negotiation agent 1 has an evaluation engine 9 which evaluates the risk and viewpoints for the contract proposal by accessing a risk and trust functions and viewpoints database 4, a contract template database 2, a contract context database 13 and contract history repository 10. The negotiation agent also has a negotiation engine 8 that evaluates the effect of the contract proposal from different levels using the risk and trust viewpoints received from the evaluation engine 9.

Abstract: A computer system allows negotiation of a multi-party agreement between a plurality of entities. The computer system comprising a plurality of computer nodes; a computer node being arranged to define negotiation rules between the entities; wherein the computer node is operable for a plurality of entities to bid for one or more of a plurality of roles in the negotiation, in which one entity can constrain the role or roles of another entity for an acceptable negotiation.

Abstract: A method of participating by a purchaser in a plurality of negotiations for purchasable items, where an item may be a good or a service, in order to obtain one of a plurality of alternative collections of complementary purchasable items, comprising maintaining a probabilistic model of said negotiations and making bids or offers to increase the probability of success in negotiations for purchasable items in one of said alternative collections determined from current states of said negotiations and said probabilistic model as providing a largest expectation of value to the purchaser.

Abstract: A conversation definition language (CDL) is disclosed that programmers may use to define sequences of interactions for communicating with a web service to facilitate use of the web service. CDL enables web services provided by different entities to engage in flexible and autonomous interactions. Using CDL, services can communicate by exchanging messages, and the message exchanges are expected to follow a specific pattern (i.e., a conversation). CDL is used to define the conversation, such that a service may expect a particular message in response to transmitting a particular message. CDL includes document type descriptions, interactions and transitions for describing a conversation. The document type descriptions describe the messages that may be exchanged. The interactions describe the type of actions (e.g., receive and/or transmit a message) that may be performed, and the transitions describe the possible sequences of the interactions.

Abstract: A computer system for allowing negotiation between a plurality of entities, the computer system comprising a computer network having a plurality of computer nodes; a computer node being arranged to define the negotiation between the entities with a set of negotiation activities; wherein the computer node is operable to implement a plurality of negotiation rule sets, each rule set constraining the negotiation activities to a specific negotiation type, thereby allowing a plurality of negotiation types to be selected by an entity.