Systems and methods for providing electronic document services

Abstract

A system facilitates the procurement of one or more document services for a document directly from a document preparation software application used to create the document. The system activates a graphical user interface within the document preparation software application, contacts a server to identify available document services, and configures the graphical user interface based on the available document services. The system detects selection of one of the available document services and provides the document from the document preparation software application to one or more service providers for performance of the selected document service.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
         1 . An automated method for obtaining one or more document services for a document directly from a document preparation software application used to create the document, comprising:
 activating a graphical user interface within the document preparation software application;   contacting a server to identify available document services;   configuring the graphical user interface based on the available document services;   detecting selection of one of the available document services; and   providing the document from the document preparation software application to one or more service providers for performance of the selected document service.