SiReAM - An Agent Based Virtual Marketplace for AEC-Bidding

Today´s procedures for the awarding of public construction performance contracts are mainly paper-based. Although the usage of electronic means is permitted in the VOB, the regulations are not sufficient yet. Especially software agents within the AEC-bidding process were not considered at all. The acceptance of an agent-based virtual marketplace for AEC-bidding depends on a reliable and trustworthy public key infrastructure according to the (German) digital signature act. Only if confidentiality, integrity, non-repudiation, and authentication are provided reliably, users will assign sensitive business processes like public tendering procedures to software agents. The development of a secure agent-based virtual marketplace for AEC-bidding according to legal regulations is an entirely new approach from a technical as well as from a legal point of view. The objective of this research project is the development of intelligent software-agents which are able to legally call for bids, to calculate proposals, and to award the successful bidder.