US Patent 8495197 Resource pooling and subletting from user to another user

Various electronic resources, such as multi-tenant or cloud resources, can be pooled together for access by specified members associated with a given pool. For example, users with access to different resources can enable their resources to be pooled together for purposes such as reduced pricing and increased flexibility. In some instances, a user can pool resources configured for a particular purpose, such that the user can effectively lease out an entire environment. The users accessing the pool can pay for some or all portion of the cost of the resources during the period of usage.