Transactional Platform

A digital server-based system for implementing a marketplace for online services, wherein a digital communications session is deliverable, via a digital server, from a provider to a consumer, for selling a quantity of the provider's time to the consumer and for financially compensating the provider for the value of the time sold, the system comprising:

• (A) a digital server accessible to a plurality of users through respective client application programs executing on respective client devices capable of digital communications with the server via a digital communications network, the server comprising at least a first digital processor;
• and
• (B) a digital storage element accessible to the digital server and storing digital computer-readable instructions executable by the server, which when executed by the server enable the system to:
• (1) match, in the server, a system user who offers to provide his time (“Provider”) with a system user who wishes to buy the Provider's time (“Consumer”);
• (2) calculate, in the server, a market price for the time of the Provider, the market price being based at least in part on a metric of demand for the Provider's time;
• (3) receive a digital indication, at the server, of the Consumer's request to purchase the Provider's time at the calculated market price;
• (4) arrange for payment from the Consumer to the Provider, via the server, for the Provider's time purchased by the Consumer at the calculated market price;
• and
• (5) deliver, via the server, a digital communications session having a duration corresponding to the amount of the Provider's time purchased by the Consumer, from the Provider to the Consumer, the digital communications session comprising a user-perceptible visual display of session-related information capable of being displayed to a user on a display element, and the price of the Provider's time being at least in part a function of the metric of demand for the Provider's time, wherein:
• (a) the system is organized into functional digital processing layers comprising at least an Application Layer and a Communications infrastructure Layer;
• (b) the Application Layer comprises social network, communication, Persona, scheduling, and payment handling functions;
• (c) the Communications infrastructure Layer comprises communications encryption and privacy settings functions, billing detail functions, personal contact lists, text-based conversations and history, audio and video chat functions, and document sharing functions;
• (d) system communications with and between users is encrypted, and communications between users of the system utilizes a public/private key method, wherein the key material never leaves the user's device, and at least part of the key material is one-time-use key material;
• (e) user communications with system infrastructure is implemented through an SSL/TLS method;
• (f) intra-system network traffic is strongly point-to-point encrypted, and intra-system communications comprise any of videoconferencing functions, text messaging, voice communications or voice messaging;
• (g) the system provides a server/cloud infrastructure for telecommunications, comprising a cloud-based network of infrastructure nodes that serve as a local point of connection for each user;
• (h) the respective client application programs communicate with a cloud-based system application program;
• and
• (i) the digital server and the digital storage element are collectively operable to deliver to the Consumer the communications session having a duration corresponding to the amount of the Provider's time purchased by the Consumer, the price of the Provider's time being at least in part a function of the metric of demand for the Provider's time.

A method of implementing a marketplace for online services, wherein a digital communications session is deliverable, via a digital server, from a provider to a consumer, for selling a quantity of the provider's time to the consumer and for financially compensating the provider for the value of the time sold, the method comprising:

• (A) providing a digital server accessible to a plurality of users through respective client application programs executing on respective client devices capable of digital communications with the server via a digital communications network, the server comprising at least a first digital processor;
• and
• (B) providing a digital storage element accessible to the digital server and storing digital computer-readable instructions executable by the server, which when executed by the server enable the server to:
• (1) match, in the server, a system user who offers to provide his time (“Provider”) with a system user who wishes to buy the Provider's time (“Consumer”);
• (2) calculate, in the server, a market price for the time of the Provider, the market price being based at least in part on a metric of demand for the Provider's time;
• (3) receive a digital indication, at the server, of the Consumer's request to purchase the Provider's time at the calculated market price;
• (4) arrange for payment from the Consumer to the Provider, via the server, for the Provider's time purchased by the Consumer at the calculated market price;
• and
• (5) deliver, via the server, a digital communications session having a duration corresponding to the amount of the Provider's time purchased by the Consumer, from the Provider to the Consumer, the digital communications session comprising a user-perceptible visual display of session-related information capable of being displayed to a user on a display element, and the price of the Provider's time being at least in part a function of the metric of demand for the Provider's time, wherein:
• (a) server operations are organized into functional digital processing layers comprising at least an Application Layer and a Communications infrastructure Layer;
• (b) the Application Layer comprises social network, communication, Persona, scheduling, and payment handling functions;
• (c) the Communications infrastructure Layer comprises communications encryption and privacy settings functions, billing detail functions, personal contact lists, text-based conversations and history, audio and video chat functions, and document sharing functions;
• (d) server communications with and between users is encrypted, and communications between users of the server utilizes a public/private key method, wherein the key material never leaves the user's device, and at least part of the key material is one-time-use key material;
• (e) user communications with the server is implemented through an SSL/TLS method;
• (f) intra-system network traffic is strongly point-to-point encrypted, and intra-system communications comprise any of videoconferencing functions, text messaging, voice communications or voice messaging;
• (g) the server provides a server/cloud infrastructure for telecommunications, comprising a cloud-based network of infrastructure nodes that serve as a local point of connection for each user;
• (h) the respective client application programs communicate with a cloud-based system application program;
• and
• (i) the digital server and the digital storage element collectively operate to deliver to the Consumer the communications session having a duration corresponding to the amount of the Provider's time purchased by the Consumer, the price of the Provider's time being at least in part a function of the metric of demand for the Provider's time.

A computer program product comprising digital computer-executable program instructions stored in a non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable digital medium, the computer-readable digital medium being accessible by a digital server, the digital server comprising a computer processor and being accessible to a plurality of users through respective client application programs executing on respective client devices capable of communicating with the digital server via a digital communications network, the instructions being executable by the digital server, and which, when executed by the digital server, cause the digital server to:

• (1) match, in the server, a system user who offers to provide his time (“Provider”) with a system user who wishes to buy the Provider's time (“Consumer”);
• (2) calculate, in the server, a market price for the time of the Provider, the market price being based at least in part on a metric of demand for the Provider's time;
• (3) receive a digital indication, at the server, of the Consumer's request to purchase the Provider's time at the calculated market price;
• (4) arrange for payment from the Consumer to the Provider, via the server, for the Provider's time purchased by the Consumer at the calculated market price;
• and
• (5) deliver, via the server, a digital communications session having a duration corresponding to the amount of the Provider's time purchased by the Consumer, from the Provider to the Consumer, the digital communications session comprising a user-perceptible visual display of session-related information capable of being displayed to a user on a display element, and the price of the Provider's time being at least in part a function of the metric of demand for the Provider's time, wherein:
• (a) server operations are organized into functional digital processing layers comprising at least an Application Layer and a Communications Infrastructure Layer;
• (b) the Application Layer comprises social network, communication, Persona, scheduling, and payment handling functions;
• (c) the Communications infrastructure Layer comprises communications encryption and privacy settings functions, billing detail functions, personal contact lists, text-based conversations and history, audio and video chat functions, and document sharing functions;
• (d) server communications with and between users is encrypted, and communications between users of the server utilizes a public/private key method, wherein the key material never leaves the user's device, and at least part of the key material is one-time-use key material;
• (e) user communications with the server is implemented through an SSL/TLS method;
• (f) intra-system network traffic is strongly point-to-point encrypted, and intra-system communications comprise any of:
• videoconferencing functions, text messaging, voice communications or voice messaging;
• (g) the server provides a server:
• cloud infrastructure for telecommunications, comprising a cloud-based network of infrastructure nodes that serve as a local point of connection for each user;
• (h) the respective client application programs communicate with a cloud-based system application program;
• and
• (i) the digital server and computer-readable digital medium collectively operate to deliver to the Consumer the communications session having a duration corresponding to the amount of the Provider's time purchased by the Consumer, the price of the Provider's time being at least in part a function of the metric of demand for the Provider's time.