Systems and methods for generating advertiser recommendations from users of workflow software

1. A method for allowing targeted advertisements to be recommended by users of workflow software, the method comprising:

(a) transmitting by a server, to a client, data representing a screen providing an input for a user of the client to recommend a potential advertiser corresponding to a first or second step in the workflow;

(b) receiving at the server, from the client, input corresponding to at least one recommended advertiser for the first or second step in the workflow; and

(c) storing in a memory element provided by the server the at least one recommended advertiser in association with the first or second step in the workflow.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (a) comprises transmitting by a server, to a client, data representing a screen corresponding to the first or second step in the workflow, the screen providing an input for the user to recommend a potential advertiser corresponding to the first or second step in the workflow.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (a) comprises transmitting by a server, to a client, data representing a screen corresponding to the first or second step in the workflow, the screen providing an input for the user to recommend a potential advertiser corresponding to the first or second step in the workflow, wherein the screen and the input do not declare the input will be used to determine potential advertisers.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (a) comprises transmitting by a server, to a client, data representing a screen corresponding to the first or second step in the workflow, the screen providing an input for the user to recommend a potential advertiser corresponding to the first or second step in the workflow via a menu of potential advertisers.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (a) comprises transmitting by a server, to a client, data representing a screen corresponding to the first or second step in the workflow, the screen providing an input for the user to recommend a potential advertiser corresponding to the first or second step in the workflow via a menu of potential advertisers preselected as potentially relevant to the first or second step in the workflow.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (a) comprises transmitting by a server, to a client, data representing a screen corresponding to the first or second step in the workflow, the screen providing an input for the user to recommend a potential advertiser corresponding to one of: the workflow, the first or second step in the workflow, a given component within the first or second step, or an occupational role corresponding to the workflow.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (a) comprises transmitting by a server, to a client, data representing a screen corresponding to the first or second step in the workflow and comprising at least one markup language page, the screen having at least one input comprising means for recommending a potential advertiser corresponding to the first or second step in the workflow.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (a) comprises transmitting by a server, to a client, data representing a screen corresponding to the first or second step in the workflow, the screen comprising first input means for the user to enter a contact, and second input means for recommending the contact as a potential advertiser corresponding to the first or second step in the workflow.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

(d) transmitting by the server information corresponding to an advertisement to be displayed in conjunction with the data representing the screen, the advertisement corresponding to the recommended advertiser.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of (d) notifying, by the server, the recommended advertiser of the user recommendation.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the recommended advertiser is notified in one of the following ways: by electronic mail; by facsimile, by instant message, by an SMS message; an RSS feed; by letter; by telephone, or by personal visit.

12. A method for allowing targeted advertisements to be recommended by users of workflow software, the method comprising:

(a) receiving, at a server from a user completing a workflow at a first client, information corresponding to a first or second step in the workflow and an advertiser, the advertiser recommended by the user in connection with the first or second step in the workflow;

(b) identifying, by the server, an advertisement corresponding to the recommended advertiser; and

(c) transmitting, from the server to a second client, a markup language page corresponding to the first or second step in the workflow, the markup language page including the identified advertisement.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein step (b) comprises identifying, by the server, an advertisement corresponding to the recommended advertiser responsive to the identity of the user making the recommendation.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein step (b) comprises identifying, by the server, an advertisement corresponding to the recommended advertiser responsive to the workflow.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein step (b) comprises identifying, by the server, an advertisement corresponding to the recommended advertiser responsive to a count identifying the number of times the identified advertisement has been served.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein step (b) comprises identifying, by the server, an advertisement corresponding to a rating given to the identified advertisement by a plurality of users.

17. An apparatus serially providing a plurality of web pages comprising a workflow, the web pages including targeted advertisements recommended by users of the workflow, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver in communication with, via a network, a user completing a workflow via a client, the receiver receiving from the client information corresponding to a first or second step in the workflow and an advertiser recommended by the user in connection with the first or second step in the workflow;

an advertisement engine in communication with the receiver, the engine identifying an advertisement corresponding to the recommended advertiser;

a markup language page generator in communication with the advertisement engine, the markup language page generator creating a page corresponding to the first or second step in the workflow and including the identified advertisement; and

a transmitter in communication with the markup language page generator and, via the network, the client, the transmitter sending to the client the created page.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the advertisement engine identifies the advertisement on the basis of at least one of the following: the identity of the client making the recommendation; the first or second step in the workflow; a count of the number of times the identified advertisement has been served; or a rating given to the identified advertisement by a plurality of clients.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the advertisement engine further comprises an rules engine, the rules engine identifying an advertisement corresponding to the recommended advertiser.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the markup language page generator creates an HTML page.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising a database in communication with the advertisement engine and the markup language page generator, the database storing a plurality of advertisements.