Abstract: An Internet based shipping marketplace is implemented by one or more Web database servers which permit charterers and ship owners to exchange information and make commitments relating to the transportation of goods. The marketplace stores information describing participating charterers, ship owners and service providers, some of which is gathered by registration procedures used when the participants initially use the marketplace. The marketplace implements the information distribution, matching, negotiation and documentation functions needed to form binding commitments that govern the shipment of cargoes by vessel owners on behalf of charterers.

Abstract: A system for automating the transmission of notification messages and establishing predetermined communications connections in response to programmable events. The system accepts and stores event description data from each of a plurality of different subscribers. The event description data specifies one or more event types for each of the participating subscribers and, for each given event type associated with a subscriber, further specifies one or more conditions and the destination and content of a notification message to be transmitted when those conditions are satisfied.