Claims
- 1. An extranet server system comprising:
storage units configured to store a plurality of applications including at least one of workgroup applications, transaction applications, security applications, and transport applications; an application server in data communication with the storage units and configured to make available particular instances of the various applications over a network in response to a request received over the network from one extranet participant of a plurality of remotely located extranet participants for a particular application and in accordance with subscription information stored for the one extranet participant, the subscription information defining access to be granted to the particular application for the one extranet participant, and the application server being further configured to define a workgroup of participants among the plurality of non-related participants, to make at least one of the plurality of the applications stored in the storage units available to the plurality of non-related participants of the workgroup, and secure communications and data exchanged among the participants of the workgroup from other participants.
- 2. The extranet server system according to claim 1 wherein the application server is in data communication with a dedicated access network.
- 3. An extranet method for providing extranet subscribers with access to software applications, the extranet method comprising:
storing at a common location accessible to the extranet subscribers software applications including at least one of collaboration software applications, workflow software applications, transaction software applications, electronic mail software applications, and electronic data interchange software application; communicating over a communication link with extranet subscribers; sharing the stored software applications among the extranet subscribers in accordance with predetermined subscriber subscription information, the predetermined subscriber subscription information defining extranet subscribers who subscribe to an extranet services making the software applications available to a predetermined group of extranet subscribers; and securing communication and data exchanged among the group of extranet subscribers.
- 4. The extranet method of claim 3 further comprising associating the group of extranet subscribers in a workgroup.
- 5. The extranet method of claim 3 further comprising:
storing subscriber subscription information in a subscriber database.
- 6. The extranet method of claim 5 further comprising:
updating the subscriber database to add new subscribers who subscribe to the extranet service.
- 7. The extranet method of claim 5 further comprising:
updating the subscriber database to delete customers from the extranet service.
- 8. The extranet method of claim 5 further comprising: updating the software applications.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/246,430, filed Sep. 17, 2002, pending, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/187,556, filed Nov. 6, 1998, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,453,348 on Sep. 17, 2002.
Continuations (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10246430 |
Sep 2002 |
US |
Child |
10744961 |
Dec 2003 |
US |
Parent |
09187556 |
Nov 1998 |
US |
Child |
10246430 |
Sep 2002 |
US |