Patent attributes
A method and a system for securely applying proprietary software functions of software sources to proprietary data of a population of users are disclosed. The proprietary data of a user is not exposed to software sources, and the proprietary software of a software source is not accessible to users. A collaboration software module, placed in at least one cloud, is configured to establish, and continually update, a data structure holding task permissions from grantors to grantees, a grantor being a software source or a user, and a grantee is also a software source or a user. The collaboration software module of a cloud applies software function of a software source, communicatively coupled to the cloud, to proprietary data of an originating user, communicatively coupled to the same cloud, to produce a requisite result which is only accessible to the originating user or any grantees of the originating user (the grantor).