Packaging and distributing service elements

• US 20030195757A1
• Filed: 04/12/2002
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Greenstein, Paul G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,562,022 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A service element is defined and represented by a data structure. It includes one or more components and/or one or more other service elements. A service element providing a complete function is a service offering. Management of service elements and/or service offerings is facilitated by a Service Development Tool. In different aspects, the management includes various tasks associated with creating, modifying and deleting service elements, establishing relationships, error checking and optimization. In a further aspect, service elements are packaged and distributed to enable customers to deliver the service elements. Additionally, the hosting of software packages is facilitated.

Claims

1. A method of providing service elements, said method comprising:

packaging at least a portion of one or more service elements into a package usable in delivering a service; and

distributing the package to enable a customer to deliver the service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the packaging comprises packaging design of the one or more service elements.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the packaging comprises packaging implementation of the one or more service elements.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the packaging comprises packaging design and implementation of the one or more service elements.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer comprises a service provider.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer comprises an information technology customer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the distributing comprises providing the package to an intermediary, the intermediary providing the package to the customer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said packaging comprises:

obtaining at least some data of the at least a portion of one or more service elements from a storage medium; and

providing the at least some data on a medium for distribution.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the medium comprises the internet.

10. A system of providing service elements, said system comprising:

means for packaging at least a portion of one or more service elements into a package usable in delivering a service; and

means for distributing the package to enable a customer to deliver the service.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for packaging comprises means for packaging design of the one or more service elements.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for packaging comprises means for packaging implementation of the one or more service elements.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for packaging comprises means for packaging design and implementation of the one or more service elements.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the customer comprises a service provider.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the customer comprises an information technology customer.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for distributing comprises means for providing the package to an intermediary, the intermediary providing the package to the customer.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein said means for packaging comprises:

means for obtaining at least some data of the at least a portion of one or more service elements from a storage medium; and

means for providing the at least some data on a medium for distribution.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the medium comprises the internet.

19. A system of providing service elements, said system comprising:

a tool to package at least a portion of one or more service elements into a package usable in delivering a service; and

a distribution medium to distribute the package to enable a customer to deliver the service.

20. At least one program storage device readable by a machine tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method of providing service elements, said method comprising:

packaging at least a portion of one or more service elements into a package usable in delivering a service; and

distributing the package to enable a customer to deliver the service.

21. The at least one program storage device of claim 20, wherein the packaging comprises packaging design of the one or more service elements.

22. The at least one program storage device of claim 20, wherein the packaging comprises packaging implementation of the one or more service elements.

23. The at least one program storage device of claim 20, wherein the packaging comprises packaging design and implementation of the one or more service elements.

24. The at least one program storage device of claim 20, wherein the customer comprises a service provider.

25. The at least one program storage device of claim 20, wherein the customer comprises an information technology customer.

26. The at least one program storage device of claim 20, wherein the distributing comprises providing the package to an intermediary, the intermediary providing the package to the customer.

27. The at least one program storage device of claim 20, wherein said packaging comprises:

obtaining at least some data of the at least a portion of one or more service elements from a storage medium; and

providing the at least some data on a medium for distribution.