Patent ID: 8280779

Claim:
A method of computer assisted procurement of products sought to be purchased by a purchaser comprising: (a) providing an internet website, (b) establishing classifications of users entitling users to varying degrees of access to information and activities available through the website, (c) providing a publicly available registration page at the website, (d) issuing at least one of a login number, login word, and password at a user request on the registration page, (e) using the at least one number or word and password of a user at a login by the user to verify the user's identity and status, (f) upon successful verification of the user's identity and status, placing a cookie on the user's computer, the cookie comprising an identification of the user, and (g) thereafter based on the information in the user's cookie, (i) determining the user's classification, and (ii) affording the user access to information and activities on the website to a degree consistent with that user's classification.