Negoisst, the software described in this paper, gives structure to e-commerce negotiations. Using Negoisst, each party, typically a supplier and a purchaser, has access to the system. A somewhat elaborate database fragmentation is used to keep each party’s file confidential. Inputs are email messages, and the final output is a contract. Messages can be created and transmitted in two different workspaces, to meet users’ needs for both natural language communication, and for unambiguous specifications. The “green” area allows informal discussion. The “red” area is for formal negotiations. Messages can be moved from the green area to the red, and, for a short time after posting, from the red to the green. The contract is built from the messages in the red area. Messages are semi-structured. Negoisst maintains a history of the negotiations, so they can be resumed appropriately after interruption. Negoisst also checks the obligations, for example, delivery time or cost, implied by the proposed contract, to see if they are consistent with the parties’ capabilities.

The program is written in Java; documents are stored in Extensible Markup Language (XML) format. The paper includes an analysis of messages and their types, providing a theoretical foundation for the system. Negoisst has been evaluated through extensive experiments in the construction industry. It is intended to be particularly valuable to small and medium businesses, where negotiations tend to be complex, and negotiators have other responsibilities. The system looks very promising. The combination of formal messages and informal dialogue should appeal to users, as should the structure added to the process.