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FREE online courses on ECOMMERCE FUNDAMENTALS - Architectural framework
for E commerce - Marketware
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This is a special class of Eco applications and services,
which brings together buyers and sellers. Marketware is based on a common
platform that developers can customize by plugging in different application
modules that can serve as building blocks to implement a variety of
value-added markets and market services:
Matchmaking is a
trading post where buyers and sellers can exchange goods or services. This
service matches buyers and sellers on the basis of product descriptions and
personal or company profiles.
These services allow buyers and sellers to post offers
specifying price ranges, quantities, delivery dates and other terms. The service
notifies parties in real time
or via e-mail of
close matches. Parties can respond by modifying their offers if so desired.
This allows buyers to post requests for quotations, which
the service forwards to registered sellers with appropriate interest profiles.
Sellers can respond with bids, which the service collects, sorts and forwards
to the buyer.
Shopping agents such
as Andersen Consulting's Bargain Finder are a special case
of this service.
Referrals and directory services handle buyer requests for
referrals. These services match requests against profile of registered sellers
using buyer-supplied criteria.
This allows buyers to submit requests for goods and services,
which the service pools, with similar requests to obtain quantity discounts.
The marketware framework supports applications by providing a
common set of structures and functions, viz:
·
Standard profiles for buyers, sellers and intermediaries
provide the information needed for a party to participate in market
transactions. This information could include size and type of business, location
and street address, terms, conditions, contracts, certificate information,
credentials, credit rating and references.
·
Standard taxonomies of goods and services allow parties
to target particular transactions and filter out others. Taxonomies use standard commercial classifications such as SIC
(Standard Industrial Classification) codes as well as custom ones. A three-level
hierarchy would classify products by industry (for example, computer), subarea
(peripherals) and type (disk drives). CommerceNet is working to develop a
‘Taxonomy of Everything'
for products.
·
Standard Common Business Language (CBL) commands to
invoke market actions such as buy, sell, bid, post requests for quotes and
locate interested buyers or qualified vendors.
·
Authentication and authorization functions that use
buyer and seller profiles to control what information a party can see or modify.
·
Accounting and reporting of transactions for buyers,
sellers and market administrators.
·
A notification service allows buyers and sellers to
register their interest in selected market events (a new-bid posting, for
example) and receive a CBL notification message when they occur.
