Patent ID: 8885190

Claim:
A method for implementing a federated print services network, said method comprising: receiving, by a server, first print job requests from customers, at least one of said first print job requests being submitted by at least one of said customers to said server through a website that is associated with said network; accessing, by said server from a data storage device, equipment utilization records for printing equipment in multiple print shops participating in said network, said multiple print shops being discrete document production environments operated by independent print services enterprises that offer and directly provide print services to said customers and at least one print department of a non-print services enterprise that does not offer and directly provide said print services to said customers; and, distributing, by said server and based on said equipment utilization records, said first print job requests amongst said multiple print shops for fulfillment, said equipment utilization records indicating printing equipment utilization percentages for said multiple print shops, said printing equipment comprising printers, each equipment utilization percentage for each print shop being an indication of a capacity at which said print shop is operating, and said distributing comprising: determining a relative order of said printing equipment utilization percentages for said multiple print shops from a lowest equipment utilization percentage to a highest equipment utilization percentage; and, selectively distributing said first print job requests amongst said multiple print shops based on said relative order of said printing equipment utilization percentages until balanced equipment utilization across said multiple print shops is achieved.