Alan B Rodgers

US Patent:

6594819, Jul 15, 2003

Filed:

Jan 25, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/237157

Inventors:

John J. Ciarlante - Shrewsbury MA
Orlando C. Montalvo-Huhn - Lowell MA
Koah-Hsing Wang - Winchester MA
Alan Rodgers - Melrose MA
Steven Brand - Cambridge MA

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 9455

US Classification:

717 11, 717 1, 705203

Abstract:

A method for establishing a collection of application software programs capable of being hosted by a user. Application kits for software applications are received, each application kit including executable application files and additional application related data. For each software application contained in an application kit, one or more offerings are created, each offering including at least some of the additional application related data in the application kit and pricing terms for hosting of the application, and a server upon which the software application may be hosted is identified. The offerings are published on a computer accessible to the user to thereby allow the user to select an offering and host the software application relating thereto on the identified server. A plurality of offerings may be created for any software application. The offerings may be organized into a plurality of catalogs of related software applications.

US Patent:

6532488, Mar 11, 2003

Filed:

Jan 25, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/237134

Inventors:

John J. Ciarlante - Shrewsbury MA 01545
Orlando C. Montalvo-Huhn - Lowell MA 10851
Koah-Hsing Wang - Winchester MA 01890
Alan Rodgers - Melrose MA 02176
Steven Brand - Cambridge MA 02142

International Classification:

G06F 1516

US Classification:

709205

Abstract:

The present invention allows users to host a software application on a server accessible to a plurality of users, the software application being simultaneously useable by the plurality of users. According to one embodiment, the method of the present invention comprises receiving a plurality of application kits for a plurality of software application and creating one or more offerings for each software application contained in an application kit. A user is allowed to select an offering from a plurality of published offerings, the offerings identifying one or more software applications, which is used to establish an instance of the software application identified in the selected offering on the server. The user specifies one or more invited users and sends a message to each of the one or more invited users to join the software application instance.