MXPA98000369A - System and method for electronic commerce - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to distributed electronic commerce that is performed on a network, by substantially separating the transaction functionality from the distributor content. The e-commerce transaction functionality is provided by a commerce server that has a trade database. The commerce server stores buyer and distributor profile data and distributor content summaries in the trade database. The buyer browses, views and searches for product and distributor information using the commerce server, and is provided with the more detailed information that is stored in a separate distributor content server system. The buyer chooses products to buy, and a purchase order is sent to the commerce server. The commerce server initiates the adjustment of accounts between the distributor and the buyer, and initiates the execution of the order for the selected product. The separation of transaction functionality and distributor content on separate servers under the control of a retail service provider and a distributor, respectively, provides more efficient and effective ways to conduct e-commerce on a regular basis.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ELECTRONIC COMMERCE FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to carry out electronic commerce in a network, and particularly to an electronic commerce server and database, which provide transaction functionality and content summaries to comparators, and which refers buyers to merchandise content servers that provide more extensive information on products for sale on the network. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Electronic commerce is traditionally carried out on a network using a networked commerce server with buyers and merchants or distributors. As illustrated in Figure 1, this traditional e-commerce server system 11, provides substantially all the functionality required to carry out purchases and sales in a network 12. This includes storing product information that is provided by the distributors 13, accept requests for information from prospective buyers 14, and accept and process orders.

The number of commerce servers offered by different server distributors is limited. For example, each server is configured and programmed in a REF manner: 26235 different. In this way, the traditional commerce server 11 is complex, expensive and often requires substantial skill to set up and operate. These disadvantages only allow larger distributors to own and operate their own commerce servers. Instead of operating their own commerce servers, small distributors typically purchase e-commerce services that are provided by a commerce service provider. In this case, the supplier owns and maintains the commerce server, which distributes the configuration, operation and maintenance costs through the subscribing distributors, achieving an economy of scale. However, in doing so, the supplier usually enforces uniform standards for appearance and methods of doing business to reduce the amount of programming to the extent necessary, in order to economically adjust different distributors. In this way, each distributor that is served loses a substantial amount of control over the way in which they conduct business over the network. This restricts the distributor's ability to express a particular personality and do things such as developing distinctive trade images. This puts it at a competitive disadvantage in the market, especially when compared to those distributors who can operate their own servers. The skill of the service provider is in the acquisition, operation and maintenance of the physical equipment of the commerce server and the trading functionality that it provides to all its distributors and buyers. Examples of trading functionality include taking orders and making payments for any product that is offered by a distributor. However, the service provider faces problems with respect to the "content" of the distributor (s). First, the content falls within the skill of the distributor, not the supplier. Second, the e-commerce service provider faces high costs to acquire, publish and maintain a distributor content database. This problem is especially marked when the content of many distributors is stored in a large aggregate in a commerce server, because there is no economy of scale when adding distributor content to a server. The cost of adding an additional content file to a server is not less than the cost of adding a similar file previously. In fact, the burden of uploading, updating and deleting content from each additional distributor can greatly increase the complexity and administrative costs of running a server beyond that for the content of long-time distributors. In addition, a large aggregate of merchandise content in a single commerce server slows server performance.

In this way, under current methods of conducting e-commerce, the distributor whose skill lies in producing and managing the content, is faced with the choice of operating and maintaining an expensive commerce server or losing control of its marketing to a supplier. . The supplier, whose skill is in the acquisition and maintenance of physical equipment and electronic commerce software, must bear the burden of acquiring, publishing and maintaining distributor content. COMPENDIUM OF THE INVENTION A better way to conduct electronic commerce is to assign the majority of the task of acquisition and maintenance of content to the distributor, and to assign the majority of the task of providing electronic commerce transaction functionality to the service provider. Under this regime, neither the distributor nor the supplier will be charged with tasks outside of their respective skill areas. The present invention provides a system for conducting electronic commerce over a network, wherein transaction functionality is provided by a commerce server that has a trading database while detailed distributor content is provided in distributor content servers separated. The commerce server maintains distributor profiles in the commerce database. The profiles They include summaries of the products offered for sale by each distributor that registers with the electronic commerce service. Here, the term "product" is understood to include services. A distributor profile also includes a distributor identification number, a list of payment vehicles accepted by the distributor, - a summary of dealer policies and a dealer's background summary. In one mode, the distributor identification number is the network address of the distributor's content server. The commerce server also maintains buyer profiles in the trade database, which include buyer identification numbers, buyer payment date (such as bank account and credit card numbers) and billing and attachment addresses. The commerce server provides transaction functionality that performs an electronic commerce transaction. An electronic commerce transaction is the process to sell and acquire a product or an item in a network. A buyer asks the commerce server to send information for purchases. The buyer searches or looks for products in the commerce server, and data regarding products and distributors are retrieved from the trade database. Upon request of the buyer for more information in a product or distributor, the commerce server refers the buyer to an appropriate distributor content server, which contains much more detailed information regarding the product and the distributor that is available from the commerce database. While browsing or searching the merchandise content server, the buyer may choose one or more products for purchase. When the buyer indicates that he is ready to carry out said transaction, the data referring to the product or selected products are sent to the commerce server. The data includes sufficient information to identify the product, buyer and distributor you sell. The commerce server communicates with an external payment system for debit to the buyer's account and credit to the distributor's account, making the sale. The commerce server also generates an execution message, which ensures delivery of the product to the buyer. The commerce server also generates reports for the distributor and buyer upon request. The reports summarize historical transaction data as required. Merchandise content servers are simpler, easier to operate, and less expensive than fully functional servers, which are traditionally used to maintain both content functionality and transaction, to carry out electronic commerce. The division efficient functionality between the commerce server and the merchandise content server in this way advantageously modernizes the process of providing e-commerce services while reducing their cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows a prior art modality of an electronic commerce system. Figure 2 shows an electronic commerce system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 shows server content servers connected to a network according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 shows merchandise content servers connected to a network according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 shows an embodiment of an electronic commerce server and an electronic commerce database according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 illustrates one embodiment of a distributor interface screen according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 shows a modality of an interface for updating content extract of s distributor according to the present invention. Figure 8 shows an embodiment of an interface for editing distributor content extract according to the present invention. Figure 9 shows another embodiment of an interface for editing distributor content extract, according to the present invention. Figure 10 shows an embodiment of an interface for editing distributor content extract which shows a list of products in the commerce database, according to the present invention. Figure 11 shows a modality of a buyer interface according to the present invention.

Figure 12 shows a modality of a distributor information screen, generated in response to a buyer interrogation according to the present invention. Figure 13 shows a mode of a product information screen generated in response to a buyer search in a merchandise content server according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In accordance with the present invention, an embodiment of which is illustrated in Figure 2, electronic commerce is carried out on a network 21 with a buyer 25, wherein the content is distributed through the network in servers of distributor content 22, and transaction functionality is provided by an e-commerce server 23 which has an e-commerce database 24. Network 21 is a data network, an example of which is the Internet. The content servers 22 are controlled by distributors and contain details of detailed distributors. This distributor data includes information regarding the products offered by the distributor, including product names, manufacturers, colors, sizes and prices. They also include multimedia information regarding the product, which comprises at least one type of text, audio, graphics, animation and video data. Distributor data also includes detailed information regarding warranty, caution and information for return of merchandise, as well as background information regarding the distributor. Distributor content data includes information that includes an electronic catalog of the distributor's products. Merchandise content servers are simpler, easier to operate and less expensive than fully functional servers, which are used traditionally to maintain both content and transaction functionality, to carry out electronic commerce. In one embodiment of the present invention illustrated in Figure 3, each distributor controls its own simple content server 32, 33, 34 and 35, each of which connects to network 31. The term connected encompasses direct data connection and indirect. In other words, when A connects to B, A can connect to B directly (for example, through an RS 232 cable); through a network; or through a network of networks. In another embodiment illustrated in Figure 4, several distributors 42, 43, 44 and 45 connected to a network 41 share a single content server 46 connected to the network. In this embodiment, the box representing P 42 is a personal computer through which the distributor P 42 connects to the network 41. The distributor P 42 transfers data to and from the content server 46 through the network 41 , to which the distributor content server 46 is also connected. The distributors 42, 43 and 44 interact with the distributor content server 46 in the same way. According to the present invention, an electronic commerce server 23 controlled by a transaction service provider is also connected to the network 21. As illustrated in Figure 2, the commerce server 23 provides content search functionality and transaction and store trade server data, including distributor extract data, in a trading database 24. Transaction functionality refers to the ability to perform actions required to make purchases and sales in the network 21. For example, in one embodiment, the transaction server accepts a credit card number from a buyer and contacts the credit card distributor to verify that the account has sufficient credit line to complete the purchase of a product or products that have a certain price. Once authorization is received, the commerce server sends messages to a banking institution that charges to the buyers account and credits that of the distributor making a purchase. Other transaction functionality may include: arranging for the selected product to be shipped; and / or other enforcement or enforcement functions, such as implementing an investigation for customer satisfaction, along with product delivery and storing the results for presentation and analysis. Merchant server data comprises summary data in the products offered by those distributors who have content servers that subscribe to the electronic commerce service. In a modality, this includes product numbers, product categories, sizes, colors, prices and a link to the appropriate distributor content server where you can find more information about the product. Merchant server data can also include distributor profile data, including summaries of forms of payment accepted by a distributor, distributor policies, and dealer background information. Distributor profile data is added to the trading database when the distributor initially registers for the service, and can be updated at any time by the distributor. Merchant server data comprises more extensive data extracts available in the distributor content servers. These extracts in general are substantially more in size than the data from which they are taken in the distributor content server. For example, in one embodiment, a product extract comprises a text representation of a product name, price of the product, a description of a product phrase and the uniform resource locator (URL = Uniform Resource Locator, ie the address of the network) of the distributor content server in which more information about the product can be found. The most complete corresponding information in the distributor content server, includes the same information that is provided in the extract, but also includes a multimedia video of the product gue it is modeled with accompanying audio, a complete description of the product's catalog, a description of all available sizes and colors and the attachment information. Thus, the extract in the commerce server is a brief representation of content server data, sufficient to allow the user to make an informed decision as to seeking additional information from the appropriate content server. This advantageously leads to the benefits of distributed electronic commerce in accordance with the present invention. The present invention advantageously provides a simple and uniform interface to the distributor, whereby the distributor adds summary data of distributor content to the trade database 24. One embodiment of this interface is illustrated in Figure 6. In this embodiment , a distributor first identifies 61 and authenticates 62 for the service, and then selects one of three possible functions by adding product information 63; editing product information 64 or generating a report 65 based on historical transaction data. If the distributor chooses the add product button 63, the service presents the distributor with a screen to facilitate the entry of product information. Such a screen is illustrated in Figure 7. In the illustrated mode, the screen presents several fields of product information, including a product identification number (S U) field 711; category 712; manufacturer 713; product name 714; list price 715; offer price 716; weight 717; range of sizes 718; a date until which the 719 offer is valid; and optional keys 720 and 721. A distributor can define its own attribute / value pairs 725 for a product, such as "Cover / Material" (eg "Cover / 100% Cotton") or "Insulation / Material" (for example Isolation / Wool "). When the distributor finishes providing the new product data, choose the send button 723, and the trade database is then updated, associating the newly presented data with the distributor identification number, and a dater stamp with time, indicating when it was added.The collection of product information stored in the trade database is called an extract of distributor content.It should be noted that this feeding process and these interface screens are a illustrative mode of methods of accessing data of the present invention, and any other interface or method for supplying data that adapt to the architecture of the present invention. For example, in one mode, data entries are validated (for example, they verify for appropriate correspondence between manufacturer and product name, etc.) before the entries update the e-commerce server database. In one embodiment of the present invention, the commerce server is provided with an extract of merchandise content according to the following data structure: merchant content abstract merchant / * distributor identification number * / SKU_number / * identification number of product * / category / * product type * / manufacturer / * product manufacturer * / key ord / * search key * / keyword / * search key * / yam / * product name * / list_price / * sale price retail suggested by the manufacturer * / weight size_range offer_price / * price offered to the buyer * / good_until / * date on which the offer expires * / time_stamp / * time charged by the distributor * / It will be noted that size / value and weight / value are two modalities of a general attribute / value format. Each attribute / value pair can be specified by the distributor to adjust to the measure the extract so that it complies with your reguerimientos. For example, for a saw, a distributor can specify from which material the cutting surface is made, with the attribute / value pair, saw / material, for example saw / titanium. In general, the URL of the distributor's content server is provided to the merchant server at the time the distributor registers with the service. However, according to the present invention, the distributor can advantageously specify another URL 724 (Figure 7) for a merchandise content server in the interface screen of the extract. A further advantage of the present invention is that any server that has content can register with the commerce server without having to be specifically designed to take advantage of the service. In addition to registering with the service, it is only necessary for the distributor to provide extracts of content to the commerce server. If the distributor chooses the edit product button 64, he is presented in a mode with the screen illustrated in Figure 8. The distributor can specify an exact product to edit by fully specifying his SKU 81, in which case, the database of Trade is searched and the corresponding product summary data is displayed, an example of which is illustrated in Figure 9. Alternatively, it may be Include wildcard characters, in the SKU and a list of corresponding products that are sold by the distributor will be displayed. For example, if * constitutes a wildcard symbol, and the distributor specifies the SKU that is edited as 132 *, the commerce server will search for all SKUs whose first three digits are 132. A SKU of 1 ?? 45 includes all the SKUs whose first, fourth and fifth digits are 1, 4 and 5 respectively. Likewise, the distributor can request a list by manufacturer, category or product name. In each of these cases, the e-commerce server searches and presents a list of products. An example of this list for all products manufactured by Scandia is illustrated in Figure 10. As illustrated in Figure 10, the list is a summary presentation of product name 101, product category 102, SKU 103 and date in which the product information is supplied to the trade database. A highlight bar 105 covering one product at a time can be raised and lowered in the list by movement arrows 106 and 107, respectively. The distributor chooses an item to edit from the list, by moving the highlight bar on the item and then selecting the choose 108 button. When the distributor chooses an item from the list to edit, a screen such as that shown in Figure 9 It is presented to the distributor. Alternatively, the distributor You can quickly remove product data for the highlighted product from the trade database by choosing the remove 109 button. In this way, the distributor can add, edit and delete their product data summaries in the trade database, according to a simple and uniform interface. A pseudo code mode of the process for changing summaries of product data of the distributor in the commerce database according to the present invention is as follows: change_merchant_content_abstract (). { identify_merchant (); - authenticate_merchant (), - case (add_product) accept product_data. { merchant / distributor identification * / SKU_number / * product identification number * / category / * product type * / manufacturer / * product manufacturer * / keyword / * password for search * / keyword / * password for search * / yam / * product name * / list_price / * sale price as often suggested by the manufacturer * / weight size_range offer_price / * price offered to the buyer * / good_until / * date on which the offer expires * / time_stamp / * time charged by the distributor*/ } case (edit__product) case (identify_product_SKU) / * identify product to be edited by the fully specified SKU1 * / display product_data if (delete_product) delete product_data else accept product edits store new product_data return case (identify_product_list); / * identify list of products when specifying SKU with wildcard or manufacturer or category * / display product_list accept product_selection / * using highlight bar * / if (delete_product) delete product_data else accept product edits store new product_data return} The present invention in this manner advantageously provides a convenient and efficient way for a distributor to put his store in a network, through simple and easy-to-understand interfaces. One embodiment of said interface is illustrated in Figure 11. When a buyer connects to the commerce server and is identified by providing a buyer ID in field 111, and authenticates himself by providing a buyer key in field 112, the Trading server associates any subsequent transactions with the profile data of the buyer client stored in the trade database. In one modality, customer profile data includes the customer's name, billing address, foreclosure address, and credit card numbers with expiration date. In another embodiment, the customer profile data also includes information derived from historical transaction data, such as purchase patterns. In yet another modality, customer profile data includes demographic data, including income level and buyer's home information. A buyer can choose to view product and distributor information by default category, such as household items 113, outdoor accessories 114, or electronic components 115. Alternatively, the buyer may wish to conduct a database search trade. This search can be Boolean, for example ESCALATE AND (BOOTS OR SHOES). In another embodiment, the search is in a natural language format as is known in the art, for example I NEED FIELD BOOTS TO EXCURSION WITH BACKPACK. A form of a screen that answers that question in natural language is illustrated in Figure 12. Here, the answer is illustrated according to the names of distributors 121, 122, 123 and 124 who sell field boots. In another modality, the response is illustrated according to the products of boots in the field listed in the database trade. In the modality illustrated in Figure 12, plates are displayed for each distributor, indicating the type of payment accepted by the distributor 125 and the number of days in the guarantee for return to the distributor 126. This is simply understood to be exemplary of the types of information that may be provided to the buyer at this stage. Other types of information such as warranty information and service phone numbers may also be included. By choosing a distributor of the screen illustrated in Figure 12, the buyer is referred by the commerce server to the content server, in which the select distributor has placed his merchandise content. In one embodiment, wherein the present invention is implemented on the Internet, the URL of the distributor is contained in a table in a commerce database cross-referencing the distributor identifier in the product data structure. In another mode, the network address of the content server is included in the product data structure as an additional field. When accessing the content server, the buyer is presented with an electronic version of the distributor's store. These stores are well known in the specialty as Web sites, on the World Wide Web (WWW). The buyer is able to search and browse among products offered by the distributor; know detailed information regarding the distributor's return policy; know about payment methods accepted by the distributor; and order products. An example of a product screen in a content server is illustrated in Figure 13. The image of the boot 131 can be animated, and the boot can be turned slowly so that all sides can be seen. Sound accompanies the image, describing the advantageous characteristics of the boot. This is complemented by text information 132, as well as information regarding the available sizes of the boots 133, weight 134, price of the suggested number 135, price of the offer 136 and date when the offer 137 is due. If the buyer wishes to choose the boot for purchase, the buyer chooses the "Buy This" button 138 in the bottom of the screen. Any screen of this content server mode may also have a "Make Buy" button 139. The buyer chooses this button when he is ready to carry out an electronic transaction, with which the selected products are purchased. When the buyer has finished buying and chooses the "Make Buy" button 139, the order information for his selected products is transmitted to the commerce server. In a preferred embodiment, this order information comprises buyer identification number, distributor identification number, SKU number, amount, payment information, and special information (eg, size, color) that may include attribute / value pairs. A modality of the data structure for this purchase message from a content server to the commerce server is as follows: purchase_order. { purchaser_id / * buyer identification number * / merchant_id / * distributor identification number * / SKU / * product identification number * / guantity / * ordered product number * / payment / * selection of credit or debit card * / special size color date entered / * When the order was sent * /} In this mode, the price of the selected product is derived from its merchandise content extract in the trade database. In another mode, the price of the selected item is included in the purchase order from the merchandise content server, and does not require to be derived from the base of Trade data. Upon receipt of the order message by the buyer, the merchant server performs the transaction first by retrieving the appropriate data from the trade database. In one embodiment, this data includes customer profile data, which includes buyer's credit card numbers, billing address and foreclosure. In addition, it includes distributor profile data that includes distributor account numbers and acceptable forms of payment information. In addition, it includes information on product data such as price information. In another embodiment, this information also includes product availability data, which are used in conjunction with an inventory control program, of a type well known in the art to obtain and ship a product in the quickest and most efficient manner possible. a plurality of available sources. For example, in one embodiment of the present invention, the commerce server database maintains information at the inventory levels for each distributor for each of its products. If a buyer sends an order for a product from which a distributor has sold out, the distributor may place the item as an order on the backorder or the buyer may choose another distributor. The commerce server interacts with external payment systems (for example a bank) to cause it to charge the buyer's payment vehicle (such as a credit or debit card account), and the distributor's account is credited. In one mode, the distributor's bank account is credited directly with the appropriate amount. In another modality, the account of the distributor with the commerce service is accredited, and the current payment is made at a later date to the distributor's bank account, in accordance with a predetermined commerce service policy. A pseudo-code mode of the purchase process according to the present invention is as follows: purchase_process (), -. { accept request / * trade server accepts request for buyer's purchase page * / display shopping_page / * purchase page is displayed to buyer * / accept purchaser_query / * accepts buyer's natural language query * / search commerce_database / * database of trade you are looking for products and distributors that correspond to purchaser_query * / if (no match) display no_match else display matching_merchants. { merchant_name / * distributor name is eligible with the underlying network address that points to the merchandise content server * / merchant_network_address payment_accepted / * plates indicate which credit and / or debit cards are accepted * / return_policy / * plates indicate return days for return * / merchant_blurb / * brief textual propaganda regarding distributor * /} return accept merchant_selection / * distributor chosen by buyer * / refer purchaser to merchant content server / * in network address for server and content for select distributor * / accept purchase_order from purchaser. { purchaser_id / * buyer identification number * / merchant_id / * distributor identification number * / SKU / * product identification number * / quantity / * product order number * / payment / * selection of credit or debit card * / special_selection_data size color date_entered / * When the order was sent * /} search datábase for purchaser_profile. { purchaser_id payment_data_l credit_card_type credit_card_number expiration_date payment_data_2 credit_card- ype credit_card_number expiration_date billing_address shipping_address date entered / * this file is used as a flag to update or delete old information * /} search datábase for merchant_jprofile. { merchant_id merchant account number } effectuate payment / * type of payment selected by buyer for charge * / initiate order fulfillment / * an electronic message is formatted and sent to the agent to execute the appropriate order, instructing the agent the products that the buyer is shipped * /} The present invention also advantageously provides the buyer and distributor with the capacity for generate various reports based on historical transaction data stored in the trade database. A distributor generates a report by choosing the "report" button 65 on the screen illustrated in Figure 6. In one mode, a distributor report lists all sales of the distributor's products through the service on a monthly, weekly or daily basis. which is chosen by the distributor. In another form, a report shows summary of dollar amounts generated by sales by categories specified by the distributor. In yet another form, a report represents the results of customer satisfaction research, in formats that are easily and advantageously chosen by the distributor (for example, by product purchased, period of time or by demographic characteristics selected by the buyer). A buyer generates a report by choosing the report button 118 illustrated in Figure 11. In one modality, a report shows all purchases made by the buyer through services over the last five, ten or fifteen days, or from the beginning of the present calendar year. In another form, a report shows a breakdown of dollar amounts acquired under each form of payment authorized by the buyer from the beginning of the current calendar year. The reporting feature of the present invention advantageously provides both buyers and distributors with the ability to track and estimate the utility and efficiency of the service. It also helps the distributor and buyer control budgets and track cash flow. Separating the distributor content from the transaction functionality in an electronic commerce system in accordance with the present invention represents a sensible and efficient allocation of resources to promote commerce in a network. It allows the transaction service provider to concentrate its resources on providing the most up-to-date and efficient set of services to carry out purchase and sale transactions between networked parties. Likewise, the distributor is free of the burden of maintaining transaction functionality and concentrates on his area of expertise, distributor content and product information.

The present invention in this way provides a more effective and efficient way to carry out electronic commerce. It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known to the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is that which is clear from the present description of the invention. Having described the invention as above, property is claimed as contained in the following:

Claims (24)

1. CLAIMS 1. An electronic commerce server system for carrying out distributed electronic commerce, using a network with buyers and content servers of a distributor, characterized in that it comprises an e-commerce server connected to the network and an electronic commerce database connected to the e-commerce server, the commerce server associates distributor content stored in the database with distributor content stored in a distributor content server.
2. 2. The system in accordance with the claim 1, characterized in that the content of the distributor stored in the electronic commerce database is an extract of the distributor content, which summarizes the content of the associated distributor that is stored in the distributor content server.
3. 3. The system in accordance with the claim 2, characterized in that the distributor content extract comprises: a) distributor identification data; b) product identification data, - and c) product price data.
4. 4. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that the distributor content extract comprises an attribute / value pair.
5. 5. The system in accordance with the claim 2, characterized by the distributor content extract comprising: d) a date stamp with time, which indicates the time at which the distributor content extract was stored in the database; and e) a product key.
6. 6. The system in accordance with the claim 3, characterized in that the distributor content extract further comprises useful product weight data to determine the shipping cost of a product.
7. 7. The system in accordance with the claim 1, characterized in that the database stores distributor profile data.
8. 8. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the database stores buyer profile data.
9. 9. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the database stores historical transaction data.
10. 10. A method for coordinating a plurality of parties including a distributor and a buyer to carry out an electronic commerce transaction using a network, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: a) storing an extract of distributor content, b) receiving a request for information of a distributor content; c) search a database for distributor content information that respond to the request; d) present the results of the search; e) provide a reference to a distributor content server connected to the network; f) receive a purchase request that has a select product, - and g) initiate an electronic transaction for the selected product.
11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that the distributor content extract is received from a distributor.
12. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that the distributor content extract is automatically generated by the e-commerce server, using the electronic search results of the distributor content server.
13. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that storing an extract of distributor content comprises the steps of: a) storing product identification data, - b) storing distributor identification data, - and c) storing data from product price.
14. 14. The method according to the claim 10, characterized in that storing an extract of distributor content further comprises the step of storing a date stamp with time, designating the time at which the distributor content extract is stored in the database.
15. 15. The method of compliance with the claim 10, characterized in that the step of initiating an electronic transaction comprises the steps of: a) receiving payment vehicle selection data, - b) directing the select payment vehicle to be charged to the sum of the net cost of the select product; c) directing a distributor account to be credited for the sale of select product; and d) direct the delivery of the select product to its buyer.
16. 16. The method according to claim 15, further characterized by comprising the step of storing a record of the electronic transaction in a database.
17. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that the step of receiving payment vehicle selection data comprises the step of recovering payment vehicle information previously registered from a database.
18. 18. The method according to claim 15, characterized by the step of receiving payment vehicle selection data comprises the step of accessing a buyer profile and: a) retrieving buyer credit card identification data, - b ) retrieve buyer's credit card number; and c) recover the expiration date of the buyer's credit card.
19. 19. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that it further comprises the step of storing transaction data in the database.
20. 20. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that it also comprises the step of generating a transaction report.
21. 21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that the transaction report is generated from a distributor.
22. 22. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that the transaction report is generated for a buyer.
23. 23. An electronic commerce server system for conducting e-commerce between buyers and distributors over a network, characterized in that it comprises: a) a computer-readable storage medium for storing an extract of distributor content; b) means for receiving a request for distributor content information; c) a computer to search for computer readable storage media, for distributor content information that responds to the request; d) means for presenting the search results, e) means for providing a reference to a distributor content server connected to the network; f) means for receiving a purchase request having a select product, - and g) means for initiating an electronic transaction for the selected product.
24. 24. The system in accordance with the claim , characterized in that it also comprises means for generating transaction report.