Towards a SaaS Contracts Negotiation Model Based on a Multi Agent System

Abstract

A SaaS contract is the formalization of an agreement, the terms of which are applied based on a transaction protocol. These contracts specify not only the service and its quality, but also any changes in the conditions of the contract during performance. Although, contracts, built automatically, offer great flexibility. So, it is much more difficult to analyze their compatibility and conclude agreements with this dynamism, due to the freedom of customers and suppliers to formulate their needs/offers. Based on the principle that a reliable and performing negotiation mechanism requires an effective negotiation protocol, the objective of this work is to propose a negotiation model adapted to the context of Cloud Computing. It is used to discuss the parameters of a SaaS (Software As a Service) contract, to exchange proposals and counter-proposals and to arrive at a possible solution between suppliers and customers.