Patent ID: 7904975

Claim:
A computer implemented method for providing availability information for a plurality of products for publication to a plurality of customers to allow the plurality of customers to place orders to an online store via a wide area network, comprising: calculating a first availability information regarding a product for a first customer with reference to first delivery information, a first available number of units for the product, and a first reserved number of units for the product, wherein the calculating is performed for a first customer using a first server of a plurality of servers of the online store via the wide area network, wherein the first availability information comprises a first quantity, wherein the first delivery information has been specified by the first customer via the wide area network, wherein the first available number of units for the product has been determined with reference to inventory information, wherein the first reserved number of units for the product has been determined with reference to current order information; providing the first availability information to the first customer through a first server of the plurality of servers of the online store via the wide area network; allowing the first customer to place an order on the product via the wide area network; determining a value of the order; calculating a second availability information regarding the product for a second customer with reference to second delivery information, a second available number of units of the product, and a second reserved number of units for the product, wherein the calculating is performed for the second customer using a second server of the plurality of servers of the online store via the wide area network, wherein the second availability information comprises a second quantity, which can be different from the first quantity, wherein the second availability information is capable of being provided to the second customer at the same time as the first availability information is being provided to the first customer, and wherein the second availability information is calculated without taking into account the first availability information of the product, which has been provided to the first customer, and without taking into account whether the first customer has placed the order on the product; and subsequent to the first availability information having been provided to the first customer and the second availability information having been provided to the second customer, synchronizing the first server and the second server with reference to availability information of the product.