Computerized method and system for managing a community facility in a networked secure collaborative exchange environment
In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for managing a community facility in a networked secure collaborative computer data exchange environment, including providing an exchange community facility where each of a plurality of users operating a plurality of client computing devices is enabled to establish a corresponding informational profile that is made accessible to other users operating the plurality of client computing devices and is enabled to find and interact with the other users based on the informational profile.
1. A method for managing a networked secure collaborative computer data exchange environment, the method comprising:
establishing, by a secure exchange server controlled by an intermediate business entity, a client login data authentication procedure that allows at least one client computing device of a plurality of client computing devices operated by users of a plurality of business entities to access the secure exchange server, wherein communications between the secure exchange server and the plurality of client computing devices is through a communications network;
storing, by the secure exchange server, at least one client login authentication data for each of the plurality of client computing devices;
receiving content from a first of the plurality of client computing devices operated by a user of a first business entity of the plurality of business entities;
by the secure exchange server, permitting access to the received content for a subset of the plurality of client computing devices through an exchange content access facility, wherein the exchange content access facility is managed by at least one business entity of the plurality of business entities;
granting, by the secure exchange server, access to the received content to a second of the plurality of client computing devices operated by a user of a second business entity of the plurality of business entities when the secure exchange server receives from the second of the plurality of client computing devices its client login authentication data provided that the second of the plurality of client computing devices is one of the subset of the plurality of client computing devices; and
providing an exchange community facility where each of a plurality of users operating the plurality of client computing devices is enabled to establish a corresponding informational profile that is made accessible to other users operating the plurality of client computing devices and is enabled to find and interact with the other users based on the informational profile;
the method further comprising:
providing an electronic signature facility for managing a process of signing the received content by a user of at least one of the subset of the plurality of client computing devices, wherein the electronic signature facility provides for secure viewing of the received content as presented to a signing user through a computer display of the signing user's client computing device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein access to the secure exchange server by a client computing device is through a host server controlled by the business entity that controls the client computing device.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of client computing devices is at least one of owned and managed by at least one of the plurality of business entities.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of client computing devices is owned by an individual user.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the secure exchange server is one of a plurality of secure exchange servers.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content is at least one of a document, a spreadsheet, a message, a datum, an image, an audio content, a video content, and a multimedia content.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transferring the content to the secure exchange server via encrypted data transmission.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the informational profiles comprises at least one of contact information and a business association.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the exchange community facility provides the users operating the plurality of client computing devices with facilities for sending an invitation for communication to another user.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein after an invitation is sent, the exchange community facility provides a status of the invitation which is at least one of “sent”, “received”, and “read”.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein after an invitation is sent, the informational profile for the sending user is restricted as anonymous until a receiving user accepts the invitation for communication.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the exchange community facility provides for viewing control of at least one of the informational profiles.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the viewing control allows at least one of the informational profiles to be viewed by other users.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the viewing control allows at least one of the informational profiles to be viewed by a selected group of other users.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the exchange community facility provides a graphical user interface through which a user is able to manage the user's informational profile and interactions with other users.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the graphical user interface includes a search engine interface.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the graphical user interface provides an activity index measure of how active a user is on the exchange community facility.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein each informational profile is categorized by a corresponding professional activity comprising at least one of a buyer, a seller, an advisor, an investor, and an expert.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the informational profiles includes credentials of the corresponding user.
20. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the informational profiles includes an indication of an area of interest of the corresponding user.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the area of interest includes a type of project in which the corresponding user is interested in participating.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the project is a transaction.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the transaction is a mergers and acquisitions transaction.
24. A method for managing a networked secure collaborative computer data exchange environment, the method comprising:
establishing, by a secure exchange server controlled by an intermediate business entity, a user login data authentication procedure that allows at least one of a plurality of users of a plurality of business entities to access the secure exchange server, wherein communications between the secure exchange server and the plurality of users is through a communications network;
storing, by the secure exchange server, at least one user login authentication data for each of the plurality of users;
receiving content from a first of the plurality of users of a first business entity of the plurality of business entities;
by the secure exchange server, permitting access to the received content for a subset of the plurality of users through an exchange content access facility, wherein the exchange content access facility is managed by at least one business entity of the plurality of business entities;
granting, by the secure exchange server, access to the received content to a second of the plurality of users of a second business entity of the plurality of business entities when the secure exchange server receives from the second of the plurality of users its user login authentication data provided that the second of the plurality of users is one of the subset of the plurality of users; and
providing an exchange community facility where each of the plurality of users is enabled to establish an informational profile that is made accessible to other users of the plurality of users and is enabled to find and interact with other users based on the content of the informational profile;
the method further comprising:
providing an electronic signature facility for managing a process of signing the received content by a user of at least one of the subset of the plurality of client computing devices, wherein the electronic signature facility provides for secure viewing of the received content as presented to a signing user through a computer display of the signing user's client computing device.
25. A method for managing a networked secure collaborative computer data exchange environment, the method comprising:
establishing, by a secure exchange server controlled by an intermediate business entity, a client login data authentication procedure that allows at least one client computing device of a plurality of client computing devices operated by users of a plurality of business entities to access the secure exchange server, wherein communications between the secure exchange server and the plurality of client computing devices is through a communications network;
storing, by the secure exchange server, at least one client login authentication data for each of the plurality of client computing devices;
receiving content from a first of the plurality of client computing devices operated by a user of a first business entity of the plurality of business entities;
by the secure exchange server, permitting access to the received content for a subset of the plurality of client computing devices through an exchange content access facility, wherein the exchange content access facility is managed by at least one business entity of the plurality of business entities;
granting, by the secure exchange server, access to the received content to a second of the plurality of client computing devices operated by a user of a second business entity of the plurality of business entities when the secure exchange server receives from the second of the plurality of client computing devices its client login authentication data provided that the second of the plurality of client computing devices is one of the subset of the plurality of client computing devices; and
providing an exchange community facility where each of a plurality of the users operating the plurality of client computing devices is enabled to establish an informational profile that is made accessible to other users operating the plurality of client computers and is enabled to find and interact with the others based on the content of the informational profile, wherein an interaction between users is executed as an anonymous interaction, where one or more users remains anonymous to one or more other users;
the method further comprising:
providing an electronic signature facility for managing a process of signing the received content by a user of at least one of the subset of the plurality of client computing devices, wherein the electronic signature facility provides for secure viewing of the received content as presented to a signing user through a computer display of the signing user's client computing device.