Patent ID: 7565650

Claim:
An apparatus for deploying software, comprising: a processor; a memory for storing program instructions executable by the processor to perform the steps of: providing a Web site on a first computer system coupled to a network for presenting users with an interface, wherein the users include purchasers; receiving from the user a selection of software applications for deploying to a target computer system; receiving from a user a selection of hardware for the target computer system and responsively determining what drivers correspond to the selected hardware, wherein the first computer system has a pre-built array of post-load images stored thereon for combinations of hardware and the software applications that the user may select, the post-load images being substantially identical to respective images resulting on a target computer system hard drive from an installation process of corresponding pre-load images, so that the respective post-load images include software application configuration information, files from the corresponding pre-load images, and links to drivers for hardware of the target computer system; selecting a certain one of the pre-built images by the first computer system responsive to the received user selections, wherein the selected image has the software applications selected by the user and the drivers for the hardware selected by the user; and receiving a first order from the user for the certain image of the selected software applications deployable to the target computer system hardware, including a selection by the user of a method for delivery of the selected image; sending the selected image, the image sent being limited to the selected pre-built, post-load image; maintaining a record of the order for the software applications and drivers included in the certain image that is sent, wherein the record is associated with an order identifier and user identifier; receiving a second order for the user, including the user or order identifier; retrieving the record for the first order responsive to the user or order identifier; and presenting, responsive to the user or order identifier, a list of suggested software programs for the second order in addition to those of the first order.