Evaluating communications feature utilization

• US 10,453,012 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2014
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
• Inventors: Watkins, John Hanmer, Courtenay, Natalie, McCoy, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Loftis, Johnna R
• Application Number:
  US14/487,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20160078382A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,862 Days
• Field of Search: 705 725
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for evaluating the utilization of communications features. In one aspect, a method includes identifying, for a particular organization, a set of communications features that are included in a communications service that is provided to the particular organization. Usage levels of communications features by members of the organization are determined. Based on the usage levels a determination is made that the at least one of the communications features is being underutilized. An updated set of communications features that removes the at least one of the communications features from the communications service that is provided to the particular organization is selected. Data that changes the set of communications features provided to the particular organization based, at least in part on the updated set of communications features are generated.

Claims

1. A method performed by one or more data processing apparatus, the method comprising:

using a communication platform comprising a server that executes a communications application, providing communication services of a communication service provider to a plurality of devices that are segmented into a plurality of organizations;

identifying, for a particular organization of the plurality of organizations, a set of communications features that are included in a communications service that is provided to the particular organization;

using an analytics apparatus, determining, for a time period and for each of one or more communications features in the set of communications features, a usage level of each of the one of more communications features by one or more devices of the particular organization,

wherein determining the usage level of the communications features comprises any one or more of determining a total adoption rate for the communications features, a period usage change for the communications features, a peak use for the communications features, and an average usage for the communications features;

storing, using the analytics apparatus, usage data corresponding to use of each of the one or more communications features, for each of the one or more devices and for each of the plurality of organizations, in a data store;

determining, using the analytics apparatus, whether a malfunction selected from the group consisting of performance of the one or more devices, performance of a communication server, and performance of a network exists for any of the one or more communication features by accessing an event log;

if a malfunction exists for any of the one or more communication features, continuing to provide the one or more communication features for a specified period of time;

determining using the analytics apparatus, based on the usage level of at least one of the one or more communications features being less than a specified level, that the at least one of the communications features is being underutilized;

selecting, by one or more computers and based on the determination that the at least one of the communications features is being underutilized, an updated set of communications features that removes the at least one of the communications features from the communications service that is provided to the particular organization,

wherein selecting the updated set of communications features, further comprises use of a database comprising historical data related to providing communications features to similar organizations;

comparing using the analytics apparatus, the usage data to benchmark data;

generating, by one or more computers, data that automatically changes the set of communications features provided to the particular organization based, at least in part on the updated set of communications features;

reporting the malfunction to the communication service provider and to the particular organization; and

using the server, automatically changing the one or more communication features for the particular organization.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

generating report data, for each of the one or more communications features, that cause presentation of a visual indication of the usage level of the communications feature; and

providing the report data to the particular organization.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining a usage level further comprises determining, for a particular communications feature, a portion of the one or more devices of the particular organization that have utilized the particular communications feature at least a specified amount of time; and

determining that the at least one of the communications features is underutilized comprises determining that the particular communications feature is underutilized based on a determination that more than a specified portion of the one or more devices of the particular organization utilize the particular communications feature less than the specified amount.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising providing, prior to selecting the updated set of communications features and based on the determination that the particular communications feature is used less than the specified amount, instructional materials that provide instructions on how to utilize the particular communications feature.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the at least one of the communications features is underutilized comprises:

determining, for the particular organization, an adoption rate of a particular communications feature;

identifying, for the particular communications feature, an industry adoption rate specifying an aggregate adoption rate for other organizations that are in a same industry as the particular organization; and

determining, based on the adoption rate being less than the aggregate adoption rate, that the particular communications feature is underutilized by the particular organization.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining that the underutilization of the particular communications feature is due to a malfunction that results from a network not supporting one or more communications features in the set of communications features.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that one or more communications features, not included in the communications service provided to the particular organization, are utilized by more than at least a threshold number of other organizations that are one or more of in the same industry and in the same geographical region of the particular organization; and

suggesting, for inclusion in the communications service provided to the particular organization, at least one of the one or more communications features.

8. A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by one or more data processing apparatus cause the one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

using a communication platform comprising a server that executes a communications application, providing communication services of a communication service provider to a plurality of devices that are segmented into a plurality of organizations;

identifying, for a particular organization of the plurality of organizations, a set of communications features that are included in a communications service that is provided to the particular organization;

determining, for a time period and for each of one or more communications features in the set, a usage level of the communications features by one or more devices of the particular organization,

wherein determining the usage level of the communications features comprises any one or more of determining a total adoption rate for the communications features, a period usage change for the communications features, a peak use for the communications features, and an average usage for the communications features;

storing, in a data store, usage data corresponding to use of each of the one or more communications features for each of the one or more devices and for each of the plurality of organizations;

determining whether a malfunction selected from the group consisting of performance of the one or more devices, performance of a communication server, and performance of a network exists for any of the one or more communication features by accessing an event log;

if a malfunction exists for any of the one or more communication features, continuing to provide the one or more communication features for a specified period of time;

determining, based on the usage level of at least one of the one or more communications features being less than a specified level, that the at least one of the communications features is being underutilized;

selecting, based on the determination that the at least one of the communications features is being underutilized, an updated set of communications features that removes the at least one of the communications features from the communications service that is provided to the particular organization,

wherein selecting the updated set of communications features, further comprises use of a database comprising historical data related to providing communications features to similar organizations;

comparing using the analytics apparatus, the usage data to benchmark data; and

generating data that automatically changes the set of communications features provided to the particular organization based, at least in part on the updated set of communications features;

reporting the malfunction to the communication service provider and to the particular organization; and

using the server, automatically changing the one or more communication features for the particular organization.

9. The computer storage medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions cause the one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

generating report data, for each of the one or more communications features that cause presentation of a visual indication of the usage level of the communications feature; and

providing the report data to the particular organization.

10. The computer storage medium of claim 8, wherein:

determining a usage level further comprises determining, for a particular communications feature, a portion of the one or more devices of the particular organization that have utilized the particular communications feature at least a specified amount of time; and

determining that the at least one of the communications features is underutilized comprises determining that the particular communications feature is underutilized based on a determination that more than a specified portion of the one or more devices of the particular organization utilize the particular communications feature less than the specified amount.

11. The computer storage medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions cause the one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations further comprising providing, prior to selecting the updated set of communications features and based on the determination that the particular communications feature is used less than the specified amount, instructional materials that provide instructions on how to utilize the particular communications feature.

12. The computer storage medium of claim 8, wherein determining that the at least one of the communications features is underutilized comprises:

determining, for the particular organization, an adoption rate of a particular communications feature;

identifying, for the particular communications feature, an industry adoption rate specifying an aggregate adoption rate for other organizations that are in a same industry as the particular organization; and

determining, based on the adoption rate being less than the aggregate adoption rate, that the particular communications feature is underutilized by the particular organization.

13. The computer storage medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions cause the one or more data processing apparatus to perform operations further comprising:

determining that the malfunction is due to the particular communications feature not supported by the one or more of the devices.

14. A system comprising:

a data store storing utilization data related to user utilization of various communications features; and

one or more computers that interact with the data store and execute instructions that cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

using a communication platform comprising a server that executes a communications application, providing communication services of a communication service provider to a plurality of devices that are segmented into a plurality of organizations;

identifying, for a particular organization of the plurality of organizations, a set of communications features that are included in a communications service that is provided to the particular organization;

determining, for a time period and for each of one or more communications features in the set, a usage level of the communications features by one or more devices of the particular organization,

wherein determining the usage level of the communications features comprises any one or more of determining a total adoption rate for the communications features, a period usage change for the communications features, a peak use for the communications features, and an average usage for the communications features;

storing usage data corresponding to use of each of the one or more communications features for each of the one or more devices and for each of the plurality of organizations, in the data store;

determining whether a technical malfunction selected from the group consisting of performance of the one or more devices, performance of a communication server, and performance of a network exists for any of the one or more communication features by accessing an event log;

if a malfunction exists for any of the one or more communication features, continuing to provide the one or more communication features for a specified period of time;

determining, based on the usage level of at least one of the one or more communications features being less than a specified level, that the at least one of the communications features is being underutilized;

selecting, based on the determination that the at least one of the communications features is being underutilized, an updated set of communications features that removes the at least one of the communications features from the communications service that is provided to the particular organization,

wherein selecting the updated set of communications features, further comprises use of a database comprising historical data related to providing communications features to similar organizations;

comparing using an analytics apparatus, the usage data to benchmark data;

generating data that automatically changes the set of communications features provided to the particular organization based, at least in part on the updated set of communications features;

reporting the malfunction to the communication service provider and to the particular organization; and

using the server, automatically changing the one or more communication features for the particular organization.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

generating report data, for each of the one or more communications features that cause presentation of a visual indication of the usage level of the communications feature; and

providing the report data to the particular organization.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein:

determining a usage level further comprises determining, for a particular communications feature, a portion of the one or more devices of the particular organization that have utilized the particular communications feature at least a specified amount of time; and

determining that the at least one of the communications features is underutilized comprises determining that the particular communications feature is underutilized based on a determination that more than a specified portion of the one or more devices of the particular organization utilize the particular communications feature less than the specified amount.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions cause the one or more computers to perform operations further comprising providing, prior to selecting the updated set of communications features and based on the determination that the particular communications feature is utilized less than the specified amount, instructional materials that provide instructions on how to utilize the particular communications feature.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein determining that the at least one of the communications features is underutilized comprises:

determining, for the particular organization, an adoption rate of a particular communications feature;

identifying, for the particular communications feature, an industry adoption rate specifying an aggregate adoption rate for other organizations that are in a same industry as the particular organization; and

determining, based on the adoption rate being less than the aggregate adoption rate, that the particular communications feature is underutilized by the particular organization.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the instructions cause the one or more computers to perform operations further comprising:

determining that the underutilization of the particular communications feature is due to a malfunction of the particular communications feature within the particular organization; and

generating and transmitting data that report the malfunction.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions cause the one or more computers to perform operations further comprising:

determining that one or more communications features, not included in the communications service provided to the particular organization, are utilized by more than at least a threshold number of other organizations that are one or more of in the same industry and in the same geographical region of the particular organization; and

suggesting, for inclusion in the communications service provided to the particular organization, at least one of the one or more communications features.