Patent ID: 7237006

Claim:
A method for managing the simultaneous real-time operation of a plurality of corresponding collaborative software applications running on a plurality of client computer systems comprising the steps of: (a) providing a computer executable global operating system resident in each of said client computer systems, said resident global operating system having a user interface and an application wrapper, said application wrapper providing an interface between said resident global operating system and said corresponding software application on each of said client computer systems to cause each said corresponding collaborative software application to operate together within system requirements, said application wrapper of said resident global operating system comprising a first part defining an application specific computer operator interface and a second part consisting of a protocol that controls said corresponding collaborative application; (b) providing a plurality of application data channels for the transmission of data directly between said client computer systems; (c) creating at least one collaborative session for use by said client computer systems, said collaborative session comprising a plurality of data parameters; (d) providing a computer executable real-time knowledge center resident on said at least one central server for tracking a plurality of collaborative session data parameters; (f) providing a centralized real-time data index resident on said at least one central server for storing the plurality of collaborative session data parameters; (g) updating said centralized real-time data index; and (h) passing said collaborative session data parameters between said real-time knowledge center and said global operating system resident in each of said client computer systems.