New Internet communication functions have been developed in the last few years. Net users (that is, persons browsing or surfing on the Net) can enter virtual ‘rooms’ and ‘chat’ with each other. In another recently known function, two users can each run a program that works in conjunction with their browsers that allows one (the ‘leader’) to control the other user's browser, at least to the extent of pointing that browser to a location on the Net chosen by the leader. More recently appearing are various collaboration programs that, when all collaborators are running the program and are all logged onto the Internet, allow a preselected group of users to collaborate.
What is needed is a way for users to collaborate on the fly, and without having to own or download any programs that then stay resident on the user's computer.
Conventionally, there are only variations on shrink wrap and click wrap sales of software as product, with conventional business models for this kind of commerce. But software sales in these models all to some extent create a need for updates and distributions and rollouts that are expensive and time consuming.
What is needed is a business system that makes highly productive software available to businesses and end users, but which is not purchased by customers or end users, has no conventional distribution system, and never requires update, installation or rollout by the customer or end user.
Some of these concerns have been addressed by a variety of companies with differing levels of technology. They range from the “poorly financed and positioned” to the “very well funded with strong niche markets”. At this time, however, it is believed there are no comparable available technologies. There are also no known comparable business systems.