Integrated electronic commerce system and method

Abstract

An integrated electronic commerce system ( 10 ) may include a server system ( 12 ) comprising a plurality of electronic commerce applications ( 44 ) and a server security system ( 46 ). The electronic commerce applications ( 44 ) may comprise an electronic mail application ( 52 ), a web server application ( 54 ), and a file transfer application ( 56 ). The server security system ( 46 ) may validate a client system ( 14 ) and download information operable to enable a service manager ( 90 ) of the client system ( 14 ) to invoke the electronic mail application ( 52 ), the web server application ( 54 ), and the file transfer application ( 56 ) to send and receive data over a network ( 18 ).

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method comprising: 
 providing an electronic commerce application at a server;    providing a first user interface at a client having an icon associated with a module at the client and the electronic commerce application;    validating, at the server, the client using an identifier associated with the client and validating a user associated with the client in response to clicking the icon; and    allowing a second user interface to access the electronic commerce application on the server based on the validation of the client and the validation of the user.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  and further comprising activating, by the module, the second user interface at the client in response to clicking the icon.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the module comprises a logon module.  
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the second user interface comprises an application window.  
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a user identifier associated with the user is requested at the second user interface at the client.  
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein validating the user further comprises uploading a user identifier from the client system to the server system.  
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the module is at the client.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the identifier was previously downloaded from the server to the client.  
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the electronic commerce application comprises any of an electronic mail application, a web server application or a file transfer application.  
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1  and further comprising validating access of the client system to a firewall.  
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the identifier comprises a serial number.  
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the identifier comprises a random number.  
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein validating the identifier comprises uploading the identifier from the client to the server.  
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1  and further comprising retrieving profile information associated with the client from the server.  
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 1  and further comprising: 
 generating a new identifier in response to validation of the identifier; and  
 downloading the new identifier to the client.  
 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the electronic commerce application comprises a file transfer application operable to send and receive electronic data interchange (EDI) data over the network.  
     
     
         17 . A system comprising: 
 software operable to: 
 provide an electronic commerce application at a server;  
 provide a first user interface at a client having an icon associated with a module at the client and the electronic commerce application;  
 validate, at the server, the client using an identifier associated with the client and validating a user associated with the client in response to clicking the icon; and  
 allow a second user interface to access the electronic commerce application on the server based on the validation of the client and the validation of the user.  
   
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the software is further operable to activate, by the module, the second user interface at the client in response to clicking the icon.  
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the module comprises a logon module.  
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the second user interface comprises an application window.  
     
     
         21 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein a user identifier associated with the user is requested at the second user interface at the client.  
     
     
         22 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein validating the user further comprises uploading a user identifier from the client system to the server system.  
     
     
         23 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the module is at the client.  
     
     
         24 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the identifier was previously downloaded from the server to the client.  
     
     
         25 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the electronic commerce application comprises any of an electronic mail application, a web server application or a file transfer application.  
     
     
         26 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the software is further operable to validate access of the client system to a firewall.  
     
     
         27 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the identifier comprises a serial number.  
     
     
         28 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the identifier comprises a random number.  
     
     
         29 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein validating the identifier comprises uploading the identifier from the client to the server.  
     
     
         30 . The system according to  claim 17  and further comprising retrieving profile information associated with the client from the server.  
     
     
         31 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the software is further operable to: 
 generate a new identifier in response to validation of the identifier; and    download the new identifier to the client.    
     
     
         32 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the electronic commerce application comprises a file transfer application operable to send and receive electronic data interchange (EDI) data over the network.  
     
     
         33 . A system comprising: 
 means for providing an electronic commerce application at a server;    means for providing a first user interface at a client having an icon associated with a module at the client and the electronic commerce application;    means for validating, at the server, the client using an identifier associated with the client and validating a user associated with the client in response to clicking the icon; and    means for allowing a second user interface to access the electronic commerce application on the server based on the validation of the client and the validation of the user.    
     
     
         34 . A method comprising: 
 providing an electronic commerce application at a server;    providing a first user interface at a client having an icon associated with a module at the client and the electronic commerce application;    activating, by the module, a second user interface at the client in response to clicking the icon;    validating the client at the server using an identifier previously downloaded to the client;    validating a user associated with the client at the server; and    allowing the second user interface to access the electronic commerce application on the server based on the validation of the client and the validation of the user.    
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein the module comprises a logon module at the client.  
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein the electronic commerce application comprises any of an electronic mail application, a web server application or a file transfer application.  
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein validating the user further comprises uploading a user identifier from the client system to the server system.  
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein the identifier comprises a serial number.  
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein the identifier comprises a random number.  
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein validating the identifier comprises uploading the identifier from the client to the server.  
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 34  and further comprising retrieving profile information associated with the client.  
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 34  and further comprising: 
 generating a new identifier in response to validation of the identifier; and  
 downloading the new identifier to the client.  
 
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein the electronic commerce application comprises a file transfer application operable to send and receive electronic data interchange (EDI) data over the network.  
     
     
         44 . A system comprising: 
 software operable to: 
 provide an electronic commerce application at a server;  
 provide a first user interface at a client having an icon associated with a module at the client and the electronic commerce application;  
 activate, by the module, a second user interface at the client in response to clicking the icon;  
 validate the client at the server using an identifier previously downloaded to the client;  
 validate a user associated with the client at the server; and  
 allow the second user interface to access the electronic commerce application on the server based on the validation of the client and the validation of the user.  
   
     
     
         45 . The system according to  claim 44  wherein the module comprises a logon module at the client.  
     
     
         46 . The system according to  claim 44 , wherein the electronic commerce application comprises any of an electronic mail application, a web server application or a file transfer application.  
     
     
         47 . The system according to  claim 44 , wherein the software is further operable to upload a user identifier from the client system to the server system.  
     
     
         48 . The system according to  claim 44 , wherein the identifier comprises a serial number.  
     
     
         49 . The system according to  claim 44 , wherein the identifier comprises a random number.  
     
     
         50 . The system according to  claim 44 , wherein validating the identifier comprises uploading the identifier from the client to the server.  
     
     
         51 . The system according to  claim 44 , wherein the software is further operable to retrieve profile information associated with the client.  
     
     
         52 . The system according to  claim 44 , wherein the software is further operable to: 
 generate a new identifier in response to validation of the identifier; and    download the new identifier to the client.    
     
     
         53 . The system according to  claim 44 , wherein the electronic commerce application comprises a file transfer application operable to send and receive electronic data interchange (EDI) data over the network.  
     
     
         54 . A system comprising: 
 means for providing an electronic commerce application at a server;    means for providing a first user interface at a client having an icon associated with a module at the client and the electronic commerce application;    means for activating, by the module, a second user interface at the client in response to clicking the icon;    means for validating the client at the server using an identifier previously downloaded to the client;    means for validating a user associated with the client at the server; and    means for allowing the second user interface to access the electronic commerce application on the server based on the validation of the client and the validation of the user.    
     
     
         55 . A method comprising: 
 providing an electronic commerce application at a server;    providing a first user interface at a client having an application icon and a logon icon;    validating the client at the server using an identifier previously downloaded to the client in response to clicking the logon icon;    validating a user associated with the client at the server in response to clicking the logon icon;    activating, by the module, a second user interface at the client in response to clicking the application icon; and    allowing the second user interface to access the electronic commerce application on the server based on the validation of the client and the validation of the user.    
     
     
         56 . The method according to  claim 55 , wherein the second user interface comprises an application window.  
     
     
         57 . The method according to  claim 55 , wherein the identifier comprises a serial number.  
     
     
         58 . The method according to  claim 55 , wherein the electronic commerce application comprises any of an electronic mail application, a web server application or a file transfer application.  
     
     
         59 . A system comprising: 
 software operable to: 
 provide an electronic commerce application at a server;  
 provide a first user interface at a client having an application icon and a logon icon;  
 validate the client at the server using an identifier previously downloaded to the client in response to clicking the logon icon;  
 validate a user associated with the client at the server in response to clicking the logon icon;  
 activate, by the module, a second user interface at the client in response to clicking the application icon; and  
 allow the second user interface to access the electronic commerce application on the server based on the validation of the client and the validation of the user.  
   
     
     
         60 . The system according to  claim 59 , wherein the second user interface comprises an application window.  
     
     
         61 . The system according to  claim 59 , wherein the identifier comprises a serial number.  
     
     
         62 . The system according to  claim 59 , wherein the electronic commerce application comprises any of an electronic mail application, a web server application or a file transfer application.  
     
     
         63 . A system comprising: 
 means for providing an electronic commerce application at a server;    means for providing a first user interface at a client having an application icon and a logon icon;    means for validating the client at the server using an identifier previously downloaded to the client in response to clicking the logon icon;    means for validating a user associated with the client at the server in response to clicking the logon icon;    means for activating, by the module, a second user interface at the client in response to clicking the application icon; and    means for allowing the second user interface to access the electronic commerce application on the server based on the validation of the client and the validation of the user.