The disclosed system facilitates the user in electronically ordering items from suppliers. The system is comprised of an Electronic Catlogue and an Electronic Requisition facility. The Electronic Catalogue includes a Public Catalog and a Private Catalogue. The Public Catalog is stored on a publicly available database for access by customer/Requestors. The Private Catalogue is resident on a Customer's computer system and may contain unique pricing data based on pricing agreements. The Electronic Requisition facility is used by the Customer/Requestors to electronically create purchase requisitions based upon the information provided in the catalogues and route the requisitions through the appropriate approval process within he enterprise. Requisitions are then processed through the customer's procurement system and transmitted electronically as purchase orders to Suppliers.
An information distribution system that allows a customer to retrieve desired information from an information supplier over a communications network and be billed for the retrieved information on the customer's telephone bill. The billing feature may be implemented using existing telephone company premium-rate billing services that allow the telephone company to bill the customer for the call with the telephone company transferring a portion of the payment to the information supplier. A customer desiring to retrieve information is presented with a list of available information items. Upon a customer's selection of a desired information item, a data file is accessed that contains the telephone number of the appropriate information supplier and a retrieval code that identifies the selected information item. The customer's computing system transmits a request to the information supplier for the selected information, identified by its retrieval code. The information supplier will then access the data file which contains the desired information item and then download the requested information item to the customer's computing system. The customer will be billed for the downloaded information on their telephone bill, with a portion of the payment being transferred by the telephone company to the information supplier.
A method for compiling data and printing a submittal for fire pump system installations is disclosed. The program is designed for use on a computer with a laser printer. A master file having drawings and data relating to fire pump, driver, and control systems is stored on the computer. A user may select equipment based on desired characteristics and compose and print a submittal having data on the selected equipment as well as the related drawings. The program also allows a user to add drawings or modify the data in the master file.
A method is disclosed for determining a user's identity and creating a virtual session using the HTTP protocol without modifying the protocol or changing its stateless nature.
A marketing system capable of improving security of private information in mail order. Terminal equipment of a client retrieves product information from communications equipment of a provider. The terminal equipment of the client starts a program for an order when the client places an order on a display screen displaying the product information. Receiving order information input by the client, the terminal equipment of the client transmits the order information to terminal equipment of a vendor through a communications network other than WAN (wide area network). When the program is not installed in the terminal equipment of the client, it can be transmitted from the communications equipment of the provider to the terminal equipment.
A method is disclosed for determining a user's identity and creating a virtual session using the HTTP protocol without modifying the protocol or changing its stateless nature.
