Patent ID: 6850939

Claim:
A method for managing and selectively sharing multiple sets of information to be used in a plurality of projects, each set of information being created, revised and controlled by separate entities, the method executed in a computer system, said method comprising receiving, storing, and analyzing in one instance of a database at least one first set of information from at least a first entity, the first set of information capable of being retrievable, usable and revisable by the first entity; allowing the first entity to control whether at least one second entity can access the first set of information, and allowing the first entity to control whether the second entity can retrieve, use and/or revise the first set of information; receiving, storing, and analyzing in the database at least one second set of information from the first entity, the second set of information capable of being retrieved, used and revised only by the first entity; receiving, storing, and analyzing in the database at least one third set of information from the second entity; the third set of information capable of being retrieved, used and revised by the second entity; allowing the second entity to control whether at least the first entity can access the third set of information and allowing the second entity to control whether the first entity can retrieve, use and/or revise the second set of information; and receiving, storing and analyzing in the database at least one fourth set of information capable of being retrieved, used and revised only by the second entity, wherein the method supports the ability for all entities to co-exist on the single instance of the database such that each entity owns and controls only their set of information within the database; in which multiple sets of information are received, stored and analyzed from multiple entities, and allowing each entity to control whether the other entities can retrieve, use and/or revise the stored sets of information and in which analyzing of the information further includes updating a status of each set of information, and sending the status of each undated set of information to each entity that is capable of retrieving, using and/or revising the undated set of information.