System, method and software product for ordering image products over a communication network from a plurality of different providers having various business relationships, using images stored on a digital storage device

1. A method comprising:

providing a network service on a network, the network service including digital photo services provided by a plurality of service providers;

allowing a user to access a network server via the network service using an order terminal connected to the network for ordering at least one of the digital photo services;

inserting into the order terminal a digital storage device carried by the user and having an image stored thereon for use by at least one of said service providers to provide one of said digital photo services therefor, and having a code stored thereon for use by the network service to identify one of a plurality of business entities, said one of the plurality of business entities being associated with the digital storage device, the plurality of business entities each having a predefined business relationship with each of said plurality of service providers;

reading the digital storage device to obtain image data for the image stored thereon and to obtain the code;

maintaining relationship data of the predefined business relationships between each of said business entities and each of service providers in a database coupled to the network, the relationship data including rankings of the predefined business relationships between each of said business entities and each of the service providers;

accessing the database and using the code to obtain a ranking of predefined business relationships between said one of the plurality of business entities identified by the code and said plurality of service providers;

displaying to the user an order screen on the order terminal, the order screen including purchasing information for ordering said at least one of the digital photo services for the image, the purchasing information generated and transmitted by the server over the network, the purchasing information including at least one of the plurality of service providers, and the purchasing information capable of being modified by the server in response to the ranking of the predefined business relationships between said one of the plurality of business entities identified by the code and said plurality of service providers, wherein the purchasing information includes a purchase price and a service provider that provides said at least one of the digital photo services; and

modifying the purchasing information to include a lower purchase price in response to a high ranking of a predefined business relationships between said one of the plurality of business entities and the service provider that provides said at least one of the digital photo services.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said order terminal comprises one of the following:

an automated teller machine;

a kiosk;

a personal computer; or

a wireless device.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said digital storage device comprises one of the following:

optical disc;

magnetic floppy disc;

flash memory device; or

a digital camera.

4. A method comprising:

providing a network service on a network, the network service including digital photo services provided by a plurality of service providers;

allowing a user to access a network server via the network service using an order terminal connected to the network for ordering at least one of the digital photo services;

inserting into the order terminal a digital storage device carried by the user and having an image stored thereon for use by at least one of said service providers to provide one of said digital photo services therefor, and having a code stored thereon for use by the network service to identify one of a plurality of business entities, said one of the plurality of business entities being associated with the digital storage device, the plurality of business entities each having a predefined business relationship with each of said plurality of service providers;

reading the digital storage device to obtain image data for the image stored thereon and to obtain the code;

maintaining relationship data of the predefined business relationships between each of said business entities and each of service providers in a database coupled to the network, the relationship data including rankings of the predefined business relationships between each of said business entities and each of the service providers;

accessing the database and using the code to obtain a ranking of predefined business relationships between said one of the plurality of business entities identified by the code and said plurality of service providers;

displaying to the user an order screen on the order terminal, the order screen including purchasing information for ordering said at least one of the digital photo services for the image, the purchasing information generated and transmitted by the server over the network, the purchasing information including at least one of the plurality of service providers, and the purchasing information capable of being modified by the server in response to the ranking of the predefined business relationships between said one of the plurality of business entities identified by the code and said plurality of service providers; and

displaying different types of products and/or services on the order screen for the user to select, the different types of products and/or services each provided by two or more of the plurality of service providers, wherein some of the products and/or services are displayed more prominently in response to a higher ranking of the predefined business relationships between said one of the plurality of business entities and said two or more of the plurality of service providers.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the ranking of said predefined business relationships includes at least three levels.

6. The method according to claim 4 wherein the step of maintaining relationship data is performed by a service manager using a table in a database of the server.

7. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising the step of including or not including a purchasing convenience feature in the purchasing information in response to the ranking of the predefined business relationships between said one of the plurality of business entities and said plurality of service providers.

8. The method according to claim 4 wherein said at least one of the digital photo services comprises one or more of the following:

local printing of digital images;

remote printing of digital images;

on-line storage of digital images;

providing digital storage media containing digital images; and

providing associated goods and/or services with respect to hard copy prints.

9. A system for ordering products over a network, comprising:

an order terminal connected to the network, the order terminal capable of reading image data from a digital storage device, the storage device having stored thereon an image for which a user can order products and/or services from a plurality of service providers over the network via the order terminal, the storage device associated with one of a plurality of business entities;

a database connected to the network for storing rankings of business relationships between the business entities and the service providers; and

an order screen connected to the order terminal for presenting to the user a first purchase offer related to a product and/or service for the image and including at least two of the plurality of service providers, wherein (1) the service providers that are included in the first purchase offer we selected according to their having higher rankings according to a ranking of the business relationships between said one of a plurality of business entities and said plurality of service providers, (2) said at least two service providers are arranged on the order screen such that one of said at least two service providers is displayed more prominently based on said ranking, and (3) the purchase offer includes rower prices for some service providers in response to their having a higher rank according to the ranking of the business relationships between said one of a plurality of business entities and said plurality of service providers.

10. The system according to claim 9 wherein the purchase offer is formatted so that service providers having a higher ranking business relationship with said one of a plurality of business entities are listed first.

11. The system according to claim 9 wherein said order terminal comprises one of the following:

an automated teller machine;

a catalog kiosk;

a personal computer; or

a wireless device.

12. The system according to claim 9 wherein said service providers provide one or more of the following:

local printing of digital images;

remote printing of digital images;

on-line storage of digital images;

providing digital storage media containing digital images; and

providing associated goods and/or services with respect to hard copy prints.

13. The system according to claim 9 wherein said digital storage device comprises one of the following:

optical disc;

magnetic floppy disc;

flash memory device; or

a digital camera.