Abstract: A system and method for automated data processing whereby data is extracted from an e-mail message and passed to an external data processing system, e.g. for processing purchase orders. The purchaser can thereby communicate directly with a vendor's order processing system to initiate fulfillment of the purchase order without the need for human intervention. The method includes receiving an e-mail message having a body of text. Character strings of the body of text are compared to a database of valid key names to find a match. When a match is found, data associated with the character string in the body of text, as determined by convention, is stored in association with a respective key name. The data are purchaser-supplied values that are then transmitted to an external, e.g. order processing, system. A data processing system and a computer program product for extracting data from an e-mail message are also provided.

Abstract: An improved system and method for procuring printed materials over a network, e.g., the Internet is described. In one implementation, a print material procurement system includes software configured to: receive profile information from a particular customer. And in response to the profile information and without any user intervention, automatically: serve, to a client computer, a Web browser page with a graphical image of printed material particularly associated with the customer. The Web browser page contains icons permitting a user of the client computer to view, proof and/or order one or more types of printed material with one or more portions of the profile information displayed as part of the graphical image of the printed material. This abstract itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. The scope of the present invention is pointed out in the appending claims.