System and method for secure third-party development and hosting within a financial services network

• US 20050131814A1
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Pfost, Jarrod E., Waterston, Michael L., Jakstadt, Eric G., Badari, Vasantha
• Granted Patent: US 7,620,602 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

An electronic billing statement, presented as a user interface to a registered user of a server, the electronic billing statement comprising a first component, hosted by a financial service center, to navigate the user UI and invoke one or more functions of the financial service center, and a second component, hosted by a third-party, to provide detailed billing information from a biller to the registered user.

Claims

1. A method for developing content for an on-line development system, the method comprising:

establishing a biller development account and development account storage space on a development server, uniquely identifying authorized developers;

posting developed content to the development account storage space on the development server; and

invoking an automated validation agent to validate the developed content before promoting the developed content to a production level of the development system.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein establishing the biller development account comprises registering third-party certifications with the development server to uniquely identify third-party developers.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the developed content passed validation; and

propagating third-party content files from the development server to a production server for dissemination to one or more web servers.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein a user accesses the developed content via the web servers.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the web servers host an electronic bill presentment and payment (EBPP) service.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the EBPP service includes content developed and hosted independent of the web server.

7. A method according to claim 3, wherein propagating the third-party content files to the production server comprises:

simulating consumer load on the third-party content files; and

propagating the third-party content files to one or more web servers upon successful completion of load testing.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the development system comprises a secure development resource to enable authorized third-party content developers to remotely develop content.

9. A storage medium comprising a plurality of executable instructions which, when executed, implement the method according to claim 1.