Method and system for facilitating information exchange

A system for facilitating information exchanges, the system comprising:

• a client computer that includes a spreadsheet-based application program and a browser program and that communicates with a server across a network, wherein the spreadsheet-based application program is programmed to:
• render at least one spreadsheet having a plurality of data cells;
• query the server to determine whether a collaborative group that includes a plurality of users is defined within the server;
• when the collaborative group is defined within the server, provide each of the plurality of users of the collaborative group with access to the at least one spreadsheet;
• and
• allow each of the plurality of users to link the at least one spreadsheet with at least one supporting document that is stored in the server and that is operatively associated with the at least one spreadsheet;
• and
• wherein the browser program is programmed to allow each of the plurality of users to view the at least one supporting document from a screen view of the spreadsheet.

A method for facilitating information exchanges across a network, the method comprising:

• providing a spreadsheet-based application program and a browser program at a client computer, wherein the client computer is in communication with a server across a network;
• rendering a spreadsheet having a plurality of data cells using the spreadsheet-based application program;
• querying the server to determine whether a collaborative group that includes a plurality of users is defined within the server;
• when the collaborative group is defined within the server, providing each of the plurality of users of the collaborative group with access to the spreadsheet;
• and
• allowing each of the plurality of users to link the spreadsheet with at least one supporting document that is stored in the server and that is operatively associated with the spreadsheet.