Abstract: Method and apparatus for a system for sharing a business process in the form of a software application (computer program) between at least two organizations. The shared software application is typically in the form of one or more web pages having associated data and logic and accessed by a conventional web browser and transmitted over the Internet between the two organizations. The two organizations need not have a shared computer system or even a common computer operating system. The business process underlying the software application may be for instance a vendor/supplier relationship but can be other more complex relationships such as third party sales representatives, business consulting, or computer support. The system includes the ability to configure the business process in terms of the software application which would include business logic and draw on data in the form of a database maintained by one of the organizations.

Abstract: In the computer field, method and apparatus for supporting web services so as to allow use of web services across organizations and allow use of the web services as a data source for a software application. This allows access to the database of another organization via web services with access via a web browser. One may access a field of data, a group of fields of data or a table of data or other types of software objects including logic. The present system maps or binds software object to software object between the accessing system and the accessed system. The web service access may be supported in a hosted manner by a server maintained by yet a third organization.

Abstract: A system for designing, deploying, and executing enterprise applications is provided. The system allows for rapid development and deployment of Web-based data-oriented applications. Multiple versions of the applications can exist simultaneously without conflicts. The applications may be web services enabled and process driven.

Abstract: A process path is predicted for a business process involving participants within an enterprise and/or across enterprises by receiving a form containing content provided by an initiator of a current iteration of the business process. One or more key data are selected from the content in the received form. The one or more selected key data are compared to the content of one or more previous iterations of the business process that have been stored, each of the one or more previous iterations of the business process being associated with a process path. A closest matching previous iteration of the business process is determined based on the comparison. A predicted process path for the current iteration of the business process provided by the initiator is identified, the predicted process path is the process path associated with the closest matching previous iteration of the business process.