Patent ID: 7853959

Claim:
A method for performing an action of a business process, comprising: receiving at a server side enterprise server that manages a workflow instance, a request from a client side groupware client application to perform an action at the enterprise server on a task of the workflow, the request generated by executing the action within a context of the groupware client application to request the action be applied at the enterprise server, wherein the groupware client application executes on a client device separate from the enterprise server, and has native functionality to access an associated groupware server, separate from the enterprise server that manages the workflow instance, and does not have native functionality to interact with the enterprise server, and wherein the groupware client application includes an extension module executing under the groupware client application to enable the groupware client application to interact with the enterprise server to generate the request for the action within the context of the groupware client application, bypassing the groupware server; implementing the action in enterprise backend services to apply the action to the workflow instance, in response to receiving the request to perform the action from the groupware client application, to affect the task of the workflow instance at an enterprise level of an enterprise with which the enterprise server is associated, the backend services accessible to the groupware client via the extension module that enables the groupware client application to interact with the enterprise server and bypass the groupware server; and in response to the request, providing enterprise-level status information related to the workflow instance from the enterprise server to the groupware client application via the extension module to enable the groupware client application to provide a groupware-based user interface for one or more tasks of the workflow instance to perform actions on the tasks and receive status through the groupware client application, wherein performing actions on the tasks and receiving workflow instance status provide for viewing and performing operations on the workflow instance within the context of the groupware client application.