Method and apparatus for the selection of a service provider
First Claim
1. A method for the selection of one amongst a plurality of potential service suppliers for the supply of a particular service, the method comprising the steps of, in an on-line environment:
- (1) assessing a users likely desired use of the service;
(2) determining the number of available service providers having terms of service provision which are potentially acceptable to a user;
(3) determining the anticipated cost to the user of switching service from an existing service provider to obtain service from a new service provider; and
(4) selecting a best value service provider.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention concerns method and apparatus for the selection of a service provider for providing a service to a system—for instance, for selecting a telecommunciations service provider. The apparatus comprises a system monitor 20, a data gathering system 30 and an analysis engine 50. The system monitor 20 is arranged to monitor and store data concerning system usage, to capture parameters relating such usage and store them in a data store 22. The data gathering system 30 gathers data relating to costs of service provision and contract terms associated with such provision from potential service providers. The analysis engine 50 comprises a controller 52 and a database 54. The database 54 contains details of contract terms associated with service provision that are potentially acceptable to the user and those which are not acceptable. The analysis engine 50 is arranged to calculate costs to the user of utilising the various potential service providers, by performing cost calculations based on the system usage data and the data gathered from the service providers and to select the service provider who is deemed to provide the best value.
33 Citations
47 Claims
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1. A method for the selection of one amongst a plurality of potential service suppliers for the supply of a particular service, the method comprising the steps of, in an on-line environment:
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(1) assessing a users likely desired use of the service;
(2) determining the number of available service providers having terms of service provision which are potentially acceptable to a user;
(3) determining the anticipated cost to the user of switching service from an existing service provider to obtain service from a new service provider; and
(4) selecting a best value service provider. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for the selection of one amongst a plurality of potential service suppliers for the supply of a particular service, the method comprising the steps of, in an on-line environment:
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(1) assessing a users likely desired use of the service;
(2) determining the number of service providers which are potentially acceptable to the user by interrogating databases held by service providers to search such databases for costs of service provision and associated contractual terms of service provision;
(3) determining amongst the set of service providers identified in step (2), which service providers are potentially able to supply the service to the user at an acceptable cost and under acceptable contract terms; and
(4) selecting a best value service provider. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for the selection of one amongst a plurality of potential service suppliers for the on-going supply of a particular service under contract, the method comprising the steps of, in an on-line environment:
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(1) assessing a users likely desired use of the service over a particular period, on the basis of historical usage data;
(2) determining the number of available service providers having terms of service provision which are potentially acceptable to a user;
(3) determining the anticipated cost to the user of continuing to receive service provision from an existing service provider as well as anticipated costs to the user of switching service from the existing service provider to obtain service and receive continued service from a new service provider; and
(4) selecting a best value service provider. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method for the selection of one amongst a plurality of potential service suppliers for the supply of a particular service, the method comprising the steps of, in an on-line environment:
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(1) assessing a users likely desired use of the service;
(2) maintaining a user database of potentially user acceptable contract terms and of definitely not acceptable contract terms, interrogating available service provider databases to determine service provision costs and associated contract terms, comparing contract terms of the available service providers with the contract terms in the database;
(3) for service providers having potentially acceptable contract terms for supply of the service, determining the anticipated cost to the user of obtaining service from such service providers; and
(4) selecting a best value service provider. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. An apparatus for the selection of a service provider for providing a service to a system, the apparatus comprising:
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a system monitor arranged to monitor and store data concerning system usage, the system monitor arranged to capture parameters relating to system usage and a data store arranged to store usage data;
a data gathering system arranged to gather data relating to costs of service provision and contract terms associated with such provision from potential service providers; and
an analysis engine comprising a controller and a database containing details of contract terms associated with service provision that are potentially acceptable to the user and those which are not acceptable, the analysis engine being arranged to calculate costs to the user of utilising the various potential service providers, by performing cost calculations based on the system usage data and the data gathered from the service providers and to select the service provider who is deemed to provide the best value. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47)
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Specification