Industry-wide business to business exchange

Abstract

A industry wide computerized business to business exchange permits participants in the industry to satisfy their procurement needs and manage their supply chains from a single log on to the exchange. An exchange architecture provides a particularly convenient platform for implementation of the exchange. Users connect to a portal services subsystem. User systems connect to an integration services platform. A platform services subsystem provides services to the portal services and to the integration services subsystems and to application programs that can be accessed through those subsystems. The application programs may include, for example, electronic procurement, collaborative product development applications and supply chain management. XML serves as the information currency for the exchange.

1 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A method for operating an information exchange system, comprising:
 providing an interface for accessing the information exchange system, wherein the information exchange system interconnects two or more computer systems via a data communication network, each computer system being controlled by a different business entity;   managing user access to data residing in the computer systems via the interface;   authenticating an individual user associated with a given business entity and requesting access to the information exchange system; and   authorizing the individual user to access data residing in one of the computer systems of another business entity via the information exchange system when authenticated by the information exchange system.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  further comprises managing access to data in the information exchange system by a systemwide administrator that grants access to the different business entities. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25  wherein managing user access further comprises managing user access to the information exchange system by the given business entity for individual users associated with the given business entity. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25  wherein managing user access further comprises managing access via the interface by the another business entity to data owned by the another business entity. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the interface is further defined as a web portal hosted by the information exchange system. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 25  further comprises authorizing the individual user to access data residing in one or more of the computer systems with a single identity authentication step. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 25  further comprises accessing the data residing in the computer system of the another business entity by the individual user when authorized by the information exchange system. 
     
     
         32 . A method for operating an information exchange system, the information exchange system interconnects two or more computer systems that are controlled by different business entities, comprising:
 providing an interface for managing user access to data in the computer systems;   managing access via the interface by a first business entity to data owned by the first business entity, including authorizing access to the data by a second business entity;   managing user access to the information exchange system via the interface by the second business entity for individual users associated with the second business entity;   authenticating an individual user requesting access the information exchange system, where the individual user is associated with the second business entity and; and   authorizing the individual user to access data via the information exchange system when authenticated by the information exchange system, where the data resides in the computer systems of second business entity.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32  further comprises granting access to the information exchange system for the first business entity by a systemwide administrator. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33  further comprises managing user access to the information exchange system by the first business entity for individual users associated with the first business entity. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34  further comprises managing user access in a hierachical manner across the first business entity. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34  wherein managing user access further comprises restricting user access by at least one of role of user at the business entity, application being accessed by the user and data being accessed by the user. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 34  further comprises authorizing the individual user to access data residing in one or more of the computer systems with a single identity authentication step. 
     
     
         38 . An information exchange system that interconnects two or more computer systems controlled by different business entities, comprising:
 a first subsystem providing a registration module for managing user access to data residing in the computer systems;   a second subsystem providing an interface for accessing the information exchange system by an individual user associated with a given business entity, and configured to authenticate the individual user requesting access to the information exchange system and authorizing the individual user to access data residing in one of the computer systems of another business entity via the information exchange system when authenticated by the information exchange system.   
     
     
         39 . The information exchange system of  claim 38  wherein the registration module is configured to grants access to data in the information exchange system by the different business entities. 
     
     
         40 . The information exchange system of  claim 39  wherein the registration module is configured to manage user access to the information exchange system by the given business entity for individual users associated with the given business entity. 
     
     
         41 . The information exchange system of  claim 40  wherein the registration module is configured to manage access by the another business entity to data owned by the another business entity. 
     
     
         42 . The information exchange system of  claim 38  wherein the interface is further defined as a web portal hosted by the information exchange system. 
     
     
         43 . The information exchange system of  claim 38  wherein the interface is further configured to authorize the individual user to access data residing in one or more of the computer systems with a single identity authentication step. 
     
     
         44 . An information exchange system that interconnects two or more computer systems controlled by different business entities, comprising:
 a first subsystem providing a registration module configured to manage access by a first business entity to data owned by the first business entity, including authorizing access to the data by a second business entity, and to manage user access to the information exchange system by the second business entity for individual users associated with the second business entity; and   a second subsystem providing an interface for accessing the information exchange system by an individual user associated with the second business entity, and configured to authenticate the individual user requesting access to the information exchange system and authorizing the individual user to access data residing in one of the computer systems of the second business entity via the information exchange system when authenticated by the information exchange system.