System and method for managing images over a network

An image management system comprising:

• a central data base comprising image files;
• and
• a central server configured to
• receive identifying information about digital image files acquired using a plurality of acquisition devices, wherein each acquisition device is at a separate remote location,
• transfer copies of image files from the remote locations over at least one network to the central server and store the copies in the central data base, wherein the transferring comprises
• receiving a notification at the central server when image files are stored at a remote location,
• based on one or more of the notification, queuing a plurality of file transfer operations to transfer the image files from their remote locations to the central server,
• pacing the plurality of file transfer operations to reduce the rate at which the image files are transferred during transfer of the image files to the central server, and
• deleting each image file from its remote location when a copy of the image file is stored in the central data base;
• create a common catalog comprising image files and identifying information available at the central server;
• and
• transfer at least a portion of an image file from the central server to one or more remote user viewing devices over at least one network.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon one or more sequences of instructions for causing one or more processors to:

• acquire digital image files using a plurality of acquisition devices, wherein each acquisition device is at a separate remote location;
• transfer identifying information about the acquired image files from one or more remote locations over a network to a central server location remote from the one or more remote locations and storing the identifying information at the central server location;
• transfer copies of image files from the one or more remote locations over the network to the central server location and store the copies at the central server location, wherein the transferring comprises
• receiving a notification at the central server location when image files are stored at one or more of the one or more remote locations,
• based on one or more of the notifications, queuing a plurality of file transfer operations to transfer the image files from the one or more remote locations to the central server location,
• pacing the plurality of file transfer operations to reduce the rate at which the image files are transferred during transfer of the image files to the central server location, and
• deleting each image file from its remote location when a copy of the respective image file is stored in the central server location;
• create a common catalog comprising image files and identifying information available at the central server location;
• and
• transfer at least a portion of an image file and identifying information from the central server location to one or more remote user viewing devices over at least one network.