A negotiation composition model for agent based eMarketplaces

Organizations that find partners and form virtual organizations (VOs) with them in open eMarketplaces are involved in many different negotiation processes during the lifecycle of the VOs. As a result, support for negotiation is one of the major requirements for information systems that facilitate the formation of VOs. This paper proposes a component-based approach to the problem, where negotiation processes are implemented as software components that can be dynamically installed and executed by software agents. This approach allows autonomous software agents to participate in various VO formation and execution processes that incorporate negotiation protocols that they were previously unaware of. A component-based approach has advantages in the management of negotiation processes in terms of version control and dynamic switching of negotiation processes.