A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for a computer-implemented universal image format solution. Data is accessed at a server computer from a client computer connected to the server computer via a network. The data is stored on a data storage device connected to the server computer. At the server computer, a request for data is received from the client computer. It is determined whether the client computer can access the data in its stored form. When it is determined that the client computer cannot access the data in its stored form, the data is converted into a form that the client computer can access. Then, a locator is returned to the client computer for locating the converted data.