Automatic scheduling and formation of a virtual meeting over a computer network

This invention relates generally to the scheduling and formation of meetings, and more particularly, to methods and systems for automatically scheduling and forming a virtual meeting between meeting attendees using a computer network. A method and system for scheduling a virtual meeting and automatically making the required connections near the time the virtual meeting is scheduled to take place between a meeting host's computer and at least one meeting participant's computer. The virtual meeting is scheduled by sending a meeting request from the meeting host's computer over a communication network to each meeting participant's computer. The meeting request is stored on the meeting host's computer and on each meeting participant's computer that accepts the meeting request. A personal information manager component on the meeting host's computer and on each meeting participant's computer activates a virtual meeting utility component near the time of the virtual meeting based on the time and date of the virtual meeting contained in the virtual meeting request. The virtual meeting is hosted on the meeting host's computer and each meeting participant's computers joins the virtual meeting automatically using information contained in the virtual meeting request. If an electronic document is specified in the virtual meeting request for collaborative editing during the virtual meeting, the personal information manager component on the meeting host's computer activates a document editing application associated with the electronic document and loads the electronic document into the document editing application.