Supplier/Buyer Commerce Network that Electronically Introduces Buyers and Suppliers

1 . A computer-method of a supplier/buyer commerce network electronically introducing buyers and suppliers, comprising:

electronically harvesting information related to characteristics of at least buyer;

anonymizing the harvested information;

presenting the anonymously harvested information to a selected set of the suppliers;

facilitating electronic introductions of interested suppliers to the at least one buyer;

facilitating formation of a business relationship between suppliers who express an interest in the at least one buyer.

2 . The computer-method of claim 1 , wherein electronically harvesting information comprises commodity information, a response time-line, a product amount, and location information.

3 . The computer-method of claim 1 , wherein electronically harvesting information comprises maintaining a company profile of each of the buyers.

4 . The computer-method of claim 3 , wherein maintaining a company profile of each of the buyers associated with the supplier/buyer commerce network, comprises:

collecting activity information of the buyer, comprising;

monitoring a plurality of databases that each maintain activity information associated with the buyer;

assigning a unique identification for the company across the plurality of databases;

exporting the activity information associated with the buyer from each of the plurality of databases;

aggregating the activity information;

updating the company profile of the buyer with the aggregated activity information of the company.

5 . The computer-method of claim 4 , wherein the company profile of the buyer further comprises self-reported information.

6 . The computer-method of claim 5 , wherein the company profile of the buyer further comprises at least one of community information, and third party information.

7 . The computer-method of claim 1 , wherein anonymizing the harvested information comprises redacting information within the harvested information that could be used to identify the buyer.

8 . The computer-method of claim 1 , wherein the harvested information in anonymized as selected by the buyer.

9 . The computer-method of claim 1 , further comprising summarizing the anonymized harvested information, comprising at least one of adding and substituting selected information.

10 . The computer-method of claim 9 , wherein the added selected information comprises information associated with identification of a buying opportunity.

11 . The computer-method of claim 3 , further comprising summarizing and anonymizing the company profile of the buyer.

12 . The computer-method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting the set of the suppliers comprising:

identifying suppliers of goods or services that are similar to the goods or services desired by the at least one buyer;

identifying suppliers of goods or services that are located proximate to the at least one buyer.

13 . The computer-method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting set of the suppliers comprising maintaining a company profile of each of the suppliers, and identifying suppliers that match a company profile of the buyer.

14 . The computer-method of claim 13 , wherein maintaining the company profile of each of the suppliers associated with the supplier/buyer commerce network, comprising:

collecting activity information of the supplier, comprising;

monitoring a plurality of databases that each maintain activity information associated with the supplier;

assigning a unique identification for the company across the plurality of databases;

exporting the activity information associated with the buyer from each of the plurality of databases;

aggregating the activity information;

updating the company profile of the supplier with the aggregated activity information of the company.

15 . The computer-method of claim 1 , wherein presenting the anonymously harvested information to a selected set of the suppliers, comprises electronically communicating the anonymously harvested information to each of the selected set of the suppliers.

16 . The computer-method of claim 1 , wherein presenting the anonymously harvested information to a selected set of the suppliers, comprises uploading the anonymously harvested information to a website that is accessible by the selected set of suppliers.

17 . The computer-method of claim 1 , wherein facilitating formation of a business relationship between suppliers who express an interest and the at least one buyer comprises:

managing a collaborative exchange of information between the buyer and the at least one supplier, while maintaining the buyer anonymity for as long as the buyer desires.

18 . The computer-method of claim 1 , wherein facilitating formation of a business relationship between suppliers who express an interest and the at least one buyer comprises:

interested suppliers electronically expressing interest in the buyer by submitting an introduction to a buyer's application;

the buyer at least one of electronically indicating no interest, electronically indicating a lack of present interest a potential for future interest, or electronically indicating a present interest.

19 . The computer-method of claim 1 , further comprising aggregating the electronically introductions of suppliers to buyers.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the aggregating is based on certain attributes, and further comprising presenting the harvested information.

21 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising electronically communicated a buyer response digest to the buyer which includes the aggregated electronic introductions, providing a method for the buyer to respond to at least one of the aggregated electronic introductions.

22 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

creating a database of summarized buyer need records;

allowing the supplier to search and identify past summarized buyer need records that can be used to create new electronic introductions.

23 . A supplier/buyer commerce network that electronically introduces buyers and suppliers, comprising:

electronically harvesting, by a commerce network server, information related to characteristics of at least one buyer;

anonymizing, by the commerce network server, the harvested information;

presenting the anonymously harvested information to a selected set of the suppliers;

facilitating, by the commerce network server electronic introductions of interested suppliers to the at least one buyer;

facilitating, by the commerce network server, a formation of a business relationship between suppliers who express an interest and the at least one buyer.

24 . A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform electronically introductions buyers and suppliers, comprising:

electronically harvesting information related to characteristics of at least buyer;

anonymizing the harvested information;

presenting the anonymously harvested information to a selected set of the suppliers;

facilitating electronic introductions of interested suppliers to the at least one buyer;

facilitating formation of a business relationship between suppliers who express an interest in the at least one buyer.

25 . A computer-method of a supplier/buyer commerce network electronically introducing buyers and suppliers, comprising:

electronically harvesting information related to characteristics of at least buyer;

selecting a set of suppliers based on the harvested information of the at least one buyer;

electronically introducing the set of suppliers to the at least one buyer, and presenting the harvest information to the set of the suppliers;

facilitating formation of a business relationship between suppliers who express an interest in the at least one buyer.