Aspire: an integrated negotiation support system and software agents for e-business negotiation

Feedback from several thousands of users of our Web-based negotiation support system has demonstrated that such systems can be used in e-business negotiations. Users’ feedback also indicated that active support in the use of the system and negotiation methodology can facilitate the effective system use. This led us to develop a Web-based integrated negotiation environment capable of supporting negotiators, providing context-dependent advice, and undertaking certain activities autonomously. This environment comprises software agents, and negotiation and decision support systems. An agent monitors the process, facilitates the use of the Web-based negotiation support system, interprets the negotiators’ activities and provides methodological advice. The architecture of this environment is based on the separation of user support functions from the autonomous software activities, separation of the support for individuals from facilitation and mediation, scalability and the ability to provide linkages with the existing software.