Abstract: A system and method that allows an administrator to provide application extensions in a platform-neutral shell environment is provided. The administrator defines a graphical interface, such as an icon, used to launch the platform dependent software application. The administrator centrally manages the application extensions by defining the extension and including the extension definition in self-contained desktops. The administrator defines the executables and directories used to launch the corresponding application. The administrator selects desktop components, including application extensions, needed for a particular job role and packages the components into the self-contained desktop package file. The desktop packages and included application extensions are received and loaded on a platform-neutral desktop shell application. The shell application exists in a platform-neutral environment such as a Java virtual machine.

Abstract: A system and method that allows an administrator to provide application extensions in a platform-neutral shell environment is provided. The administrator defines a graphical interface, such as an icon, used to launch the platform dependent software application. The administrator centrally manages the application extensions by defining the extension and including the extension definition in self-contained desktops. The administrator defines the executables and directories used to launch the corresponding application. The administrator selects desktop components, including application extensions, needed for a particular job role and packages the components into the self-contained desktop package file. The desktop packages and included application extensions are received and loaded on a platform-neutral desktop shell application. The shell application exists in a platform-neutral environment such as a Java virtual machine.

Abstract: A system and method that centrally manages desktop packages is provided. The administrator assigns applications to users and workstations. The administrator selects desktop components needed for a particular job role and packages the components into a self-contained desktop package file. The self-contained desktop package is sent to a user that is using a particular workstation. Roles that are allowed for both the workstation and the user are enabled to be used by the user using the workstation. In one embodiment, the components are packaged in different sets of self-contained desktop packages, with each package corresponding to a different role. In one embodiment, the self-contained desktop package files are transmitted to a user when the user logs into the network using a particular workstation.