System and method for electronic distribution of software and data
According to computerized methods of distributing software and data, software components may be distributed electronically for execution in controlled environments. Such a controlled environment may, for example, restrict the components' ability to communicate through a network to one or more specified hosts. When a component requests data, such as a stream of financial data, the request may specify a source of the data, and the request may be granted or denied by the distributor based on whether the specified source is an authorized source of the data and/or whether the requested data is available from an authorized source.
1. A method for operating an electronic delivery platform for distributing a plurality of software components to a user device, the method comprising:
receiving the plurality of software components via a computer network from one or more authorized software developers, each software component of the plurality of software components configured to execute only in a controlled execution environment;
receiving a request, from the user device, for access to a particular one software component of the plurality of software components;
transmitting the particular one software component, from an application portal, to the user device for execution in the controlled execution environment, wherein the application portal is configured to monitor the particular one software component at the user device and configured to automatically download to the user device a new version of the particular one software component in response to a release of the new version;
receiving a request from the particular one software component for data from a specified data provider;
in response to receiving the request for the data from the specified data provider, determining that the particular one software component may access the data from the specified data provider if the specified data provider is operated by a party that operates the electronic delivery platform; and
in response to determining that the particular one software component may access the data from the specified data provider, transmitting the data to the particular one software component executing on the user device, wherein the particular one software component uses the transmitted data.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving one or more queries for a purchase of or a subscription to the particular one software component.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
distributing the data from a data center.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the data center is a network proxy between the particular one software component executing in the controlled execution environment and the specified data provider.
5. The method of claim 3 wherein the application portal is operated by a party that is different than the one or more authorized software developers.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying, by an operator of the application portal, the one or more authorized software developers.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein the operator of the application portal is different than the one or more authorized software developers.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the application portal is configured to output to a display.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the display is configured to display categories of the plurality of software components available on the application portal.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the display is configured to display the categories of the plurality of software components in a right-hand pane, wherein the categories of the plurality of software components comprise automatic trading, customer relationship management, and data analysis, which are individually selectable, wherein upon selection of a category of the categories of the plurality of software components, the method further comprises displaying relevant software components, wherein the relevant software components are each individually selectable.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the display is configured to dynamically update featured software components of the plurality of software components based on an amount of time a software component of the plurality of software components has spent on a most downloaded list.
12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises displaying information about the particular one software component, and wherein the information comprises update dates of the particular one software component.
13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises allowing the user to run a free demonstration of the software component as a one-time trial run or a trial run for a pre-determined time period.
14. An electronic delivery platform for distributing a plurality of software components to a user device, the electronic delivery platform comprising:
an application portal comprising a processor, for executing computer program instructions stored in a memory, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving the plurality of software components via a computer network from one or more authorized software developers, each software component of the plurality of software components configured to execute only in a controlled execution environment;
storing the plurality of software components from one or more authorized software developers;
receiving a request, from the user device, for access to a particular one software component of the plurality of software components,
transmitting, in response to the request received, from the application portal, the particular one software component to the user device for execution in the controlled execution environment, wherein the application portal is configured to monitor the particular one software component at the user device and configured to automatically download to the user device a new version of the particular one software component in response to a release of the new version;
receiving a request from the particular one software component for data from a specified data provider;
in response to receiving, by the application portal, the request for the data from the specified data provider, determining that the particular one software component may access the data from the specified data provider if the specified data provider is operated by a party that operates the electronic delivery platform; and
in response to determining that the particular one software component may access the data from the specified data provider, transmitting the data to the particular one software component executing on the user device wherein the particular one software component uses the transmitted data.
15. The electronic delivery platform of claim 14 , wherein the application portal is configured to output to a display.
16. The electronic delivery platform of claim 15 , wherein the display is configured to display categories of the plurality of software components available on the application portal.
17. The electronic delivery platform of claim 16 , wherein the display is configured to display the categories of the plurality of software components in a right-hand pane, wherein the categories of the plurality of software components comprise automatic trading, customer relationship management, and data analysis, which are individually selectable, wherein upon selection of a category of the categories of the plurality of software components, the display is configured to display relevant software components, wherein the relevant software components are each individually selectable.
18. The electronic delivery platform of claim 16 , wherein the display is configured to dynamically update featured software components of the plurality of software components based on an amount of time a software component of the plurality of software components has spent on a most downloaded list.
19. The electronic delivery platform of claim 15 , wherein the display is configured to display information about the particular one software component, wherein the information comprises update dates of the particular one software component.
20. The electronic delivery platform of claim 15 , wherein the display is further configured to allow the user to run a free demonstration of the software component as a one-time trial run or a trial run for a pre-determined time period.