Virtual electronic card based networking

A computer implemented system for online networking based on exchange of virtual electronic cards between a plurality of users, comprising:

• a computer system connected to a communication network, wherein said computer system comprises:
• a memory;
• an online graphical user interface for enabling a user to create a personal profile and a company profile in an online networking environment;
• a linking module stored on the memory for linking said user with one or more of an existing company, employees of said company, and a potential match from said users;
• a virtual electronic card control module for administering processes associated with a virtual electronic card, comprising:
• a virtual electronic card creation engine for creating said virtual electronic card automatically;
• a virtual electronic card management and exchange module stored on the memory for one or more of exchanging a personal electronic card between the user and said plurality of users, deleting said personal electronic card, setting online meetings, forwarding the personal electronic card, inviting the plurality of users, and sending messages in said online networking environment;
• and
• a virtual electronic card customization tool for editing and formatting information and style of the virtual electronic card by the user;
• a search engine for performing searches in the online networking environment, based on one or more of keywords, companies, location, industry, and title;
• said online graphical user interface for providing a view of degrees of separation between said personal electronic card of said user initiating the search and said personal electronic cards of said users;
• a virtual electronic card based user activity module stored on the memory for managing common linkers and number of said users that are away from said user by one or more of said degrees of separation;
• a virtual electronic card database in communication with said computer system for storing said personal electronic cards, said company electronic cards, and data related to said virtual electronic cards.

A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein said computer program product comprises a plurality of computer parsable codes for causing a computer to:

• provide an online networking environment accessible through a graphical user interface of said computer system;
• access said online networking environment using an electronic device that allows a user to interact with said graphical user interface to access said online networking environment;
• create a personal profile by said user for creation of a virtual electronic card in said online networking environment, wherein said personal profile of the user comprises user information and said personal electronic card, and wherein said personal electronic card is created automatically based on said user information;
• create a company profile of a company by said user for creation of said virtual electronic card, wherein said company profile comprises company information and said company electronic card, wherein said company electronic card is created automatically based on said company information, and wherein said computer parsable codes further cause said computer to:
• search for an existing company in the online networking environment;
• associate the user with said existing company, wherein the user is an employee of the existing company;
• link the virtual electronic card of the user with the virtual electronic cards of existing employees of the existing company;
• establish a personal contact network of the user in the online networking environment, comprising:
• search for a potential match from a plurality of users based on information in personal electronic cards of said users;
• provide a view of degrees of separation between said personal electronic card of said user initiating the search and said personal electronic cards of said users, wherein said degrees of separation indicates the smallest number of users that the user is away from said potential match, and wherein said users between said user and said potential match comprise one or more common linkers that are already in the personal contact network of the user;
• send an invitation request to said potential match;
• and
• exchange the personal electronic cards between the user and said potential match after accepting said invitation, wherein said step of exchanging further comprises linking the personal electronic card of the user with the personal electronic card of the potential match and vice versa;
• establish a company contact network of the company of the user by exchanging company electronic cards between the company and a plurality of companies;
• and
• link virtual electronic cards with respective events, groups, advice section, leads section, jobs section, business network, online meetings, company profile of the company and the user, personal profile of the user, and company section in the online networking environment.