Reverse auction system, method and computer program product

1. A computer-implemented auction method, comprising:

receiving a tender from a buyer over a network, the tender including information relating to a desired good or service;

identifying a plurality of suppliers based on the information;

anonymously forwarding the tender to the identified suppliers over the network, utilizing a hardware processor;

receiving a request for additional information from at least one of file suppliers over the network, and upon receiving the request, determining whether the deadline for requests for additional information has been passed;

conditionally forwarding the request for additional information to the buyer over the network based on the determination of whether the deadline for requests for additional information has been passed;

receiving a plurality of bids in response to the tender from a plurality of tile suppliers over tile network;

consolidating the bids;

and forwarding the consolidated bids to the buyer over the network;

wherein the information includes a deadline for requests for additional information;

wherein the consolidated bids are forwarded in a list;

wherein multiple suppliers request additional information, and the requests are collected and consolidated;

wherein the deadline for requests for additional information is separate from a deadline for bid submissions by prospective suppliers;

wherein the requests are consolidated by listing all of the requests in a single web page;

wherein the request for additional information received from the at least one of the suppliers over the network is automatically generated by the at least one of the suppliers as a result of an automated feature that reviews the information and automatically generates and sends the request for additional information for ensuring that the at least one of the suppliers receives a minimal set of information;

wherein each of the plurality of suppliers that received the anonymously forwarded tender is sent a bill based on a registration by the supplier for receiving the tenders.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the information includes a description of the desired good or service.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the information includes the deadline for bid submission.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 , and further comprising receiving a response to the request from the buyer over the network.

5. A method as recited in claim 4 , and further comprising forwarding the response to the at least one supplier over the network.

6. A method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the receiving and forwarding is carried out by a service provider separate from the buyer and the suppliers.

7. A method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the response to the request is forwarded to all suppliers from which one of the plurality of bids was received.

8. A method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the service provider operates a server device coupled between client devices operated by the buyer and the suppliers.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 , and further comprising allowing the buyer to research the suppliers.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the consolidated bids include the bids, unedited.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the tender is received utilizing website.

12. A method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the tender is anonymously forwarded utilizing electronic mail.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the buyer is capable of contacting the suppliers directly in response to the bids.

14. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the consolidated requests that are listed in the single web page eliminate the need for the buyer to respond to more than one redundant request.

15. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of bids includes data given by the supplier from which the bid was received, the data including a price for the good or service, a time the good or service is to be made available to the buyer, and a description of the good or service.

16. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein each of the bills sent to the plurality of suppliers are based on at least one of: a number of tenders received by the supplier, a number of bids submitted by the supplier, and a number of the supplier's winning bids.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium embodying a computer program, the computer program comprising:

computer code for receiving a tender from a buyer over a network, the tender including information relating to a desired good or service;

computer code for identifying a plurality of suppliers based on the information;

computer code for forwarding the tender to the identified suppliers over the network;

computer code for receiving a request for additional information from at least one of the suppliers over the network, and upon receiving the request, determining whether the deadline for requests for additional information has been passed;

computer code for conditionally forwarding the request for additional information requests for additional information has been passed;

computer code for forwarding the request for additional information to the buyer over the network;

computer code for receiving a response to the request from the buyer over the network;

computer code for forwarding the response to the at least one supplier over the network;

computer code for receiving a plurality of bids in response to the tender from a plurality of the suppliers over the network; and

computer code for forwarding the bids to the buyer over the network;

wherein the information includes a deadline for requests for additional in formation;

wherein the computer program product is operable such that the consolidated bids are forwarded in a list;

wherein the computer program product is operable such that multiple suppliers request additional information, and the requests are collected and consolidated;

wherein the deadline for requests for additional information is separate from a deadline for bid submissions by prospective suppliers;

wherein the computer program product is operable such that the requests are consolidated by listing all of the requests in a single web page;

wherein the computer program, product is operable such that the request for additional information received from the at least one of the suppliers over the network is automatically generated by the at least one of the suppliers as a result of an automated feature that reviews the information and automatically generates and sends the request for additional information for ensuring that the at least one of the suppliers receives a minimal set of information

wherein the computer program product is operable such that each of the plurality of suppliers that receive the forwarded tender is sent a bill based on a registration by the supplier for receiving, the tenders.

18. A computer-implemented auction method, comprising:

receiving a tender from a buyer over a network, the tender including information relating to a desired good or service;

identifying a plurality of suppliers based on the information;

anonymously forwarding the tender to the identified suppliers over the network, utilizing a hardware processor;

receiving a request for additional information from at least one of the suppliers over the network, and upon receiving the request, determining whether the deadline for requests for additional information has been passed;

conditionally forwarding the request for additional information to the buyer over the network based on the determination of whether the deadline for requests for additional information has been passed;

receiving a response to the request from the buyer over the network;

forwarding the response to the at least one supplier over the network;

receiving a plurality of bids in response to the tender from a plurality of the suppliers over the network;

consolidating the bids; and

forwarding the consolidated bids to the buyer over the network;

wherein the buyer is capable of contacting the suppliers directly in response to the bids;

wherein the information includes a deadline for requests for additional information;

wherein the consolidated bids are forwarded in a list;

wherein multiple suppliers request additional information, and the requests are collected and consolidated;

wherein the deadline for requests for additional information is separate from a deadline for bid submissions by prospective suppliers;

wherein the requests are consolidated by listing all of the requests in a single web page;

wherein the request for additional information received from the at least one of the suppliers over the network is automatically generated by the at least one of the suppliers as a result of an automated feature that reviews the information and automatically generates and sends the request for additional information for ensuring that the at least one of the suppliers receives a minimal set of information;

wherein each of the plurality of suppliers that receive the anonymously forwarded tender is sent a bill based on a registration by the supplier for receiving the tenders.