Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture consistent with the present
invention use a data processing system to aggregate information
reflecting demand for an item based on input requests associated with the
item, each request having been received from a remote user and including
remote user identification information, provide the aggregated
information to a plurality of suppliers, each capable of supplying the
item, receives at least one proposed response from at least one of the
suppliers, including a proposal for providing the item to the remote
users, and provides the proposed response to the remote users based on
the remote user identification information. Aggregated information is
provided without the remote user identification information associated
the requests.