Providing on-demand access to services in a wide area network

• US 20060031225A1
• Filed: 12/16/2004
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: GrandCentral Communications Incorporated (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Palmeri, Ron, Reade, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 7,725,605 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/256 in federated or virtual databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

An integration services network is described which is operable to facilitate access to a composite service by a plurality of users having associated client machines. Each of the users is associated with one of a plurality of independent enterprises. At least one data store has a directory stored therein which maps an identity for each of the users to a policy framework which defines access information relating to a plurality of services. At least one computing device is operable to set up the composite service by integrating operation of the plurality of services. The plurality of services are associated with and controlled by a plurality of independent service providers. The at least one computing device is further operable to connect with the client machines and each of the services, and to selectively facilitate interaction among the client machines and the services with reference to the directory and the policy framework, thereby enabling each of the users to access the plurality of services as an integrated solution.

Claims

1. An integration services network for facilitating access to a composite service by a plurality of users having associated client machines, each of the users being associated with one of a plurality of independent enterprises, the network comprising:

at least one data store having a directory stored therein which maps an identity for each of the users to a policy framework which defines access information relating to a plurality of services; and

at least one computing device which is operable to set up the composite service by integrating operation of the plurality of services, the plurality of services being associated with and controlled by a plurality of independent service providers, the at least one computing device further being operable to connect with the client machines and each of the services, and to selectively facilitate interaction among the client machines and the services with reference to the directory and the policy framework, thereby enabling each of the users to access the plurality of services as an integrated solution.

2. The network of claim 1 wherein the policy framework specifies any of access, authentication, and encryption policies for each of the services.

3. The network of claim 1 wherein each user identity includes any of the enterprise associated with the user, a role within the enterprise associated with the user, and an identifier of the client machine associated with the user.

4. The network of claim 1 wherein the at least one computing device is operable to connect with the client machines and the services using any of HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, Secure FTP, EDI, INT, AS2, SMTP, and SOAP.

5. The network of claim 1 wherein the at least one computing device is operable to connect with selected ones of the client machines directly via a public wide area network.

6. The network of claim 1 wherein the at least one computing device is operable to connect with selected ones of the client machines via an enterprise network associated with the enterprise associated with the users corresponding to the selected client machines.

7. The network of claim 1 wherein the composite service comprises an eCommerce solution and the plurality of services comprises an online storefront service provided by a first service provider, a financial management service provided by a second service provider, and an online payment service provided by a third service provider.

8. The network of claim 1 wherein the composite service comprises a customer relationship management (CRM) solution and the plurality of services comprises an online storefront service provided by a first service provider, a financial management service provided by a second service provider, a CRM service provided by a third service provider, and an expense management service provided by a fourth service provider.

9. The network of claim 1 wherein the composite service comprises a human resource (HR) management solution and the plurality of services comprises an HR management service provided by a first service provider, a payroll processing service provided by a second service provider, a financial management service provided by a third service provider, and an expense management service provided by a fourth service provider.

10. The network of claim 1 wherein the at least one computing device is operable set up the composite service in response to input from a developer associated with any one of the network and the plurality of enterprises.

11. A computer-implemented method for facilitating access to a composite service by a plurality of users having associated client machines, each of the users being associated with one of a plurality of independent enterprises, the method comprising:

providing access to a network having a directory associated therewith which maps an identity for each of the users to a policy framework, the policy framework defining access information relating to a plurality of services associated with the network, the network also having the composite service associated therewith, operation of the plurality of services having been integrated to enable the composite service, the plurality of services being associated with and controlled by a plurality of independent service providers; and

enabling the client machines to connect with the network and selectively interact with the services in accordance with the directory and the policy framework, thereby enabling each of the users to access the plurality of services as an integrated solution.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the policy framework specifies any of access, authentication, and encryption policies for each of the services.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein each user identity includes any of the enterprise associated with the user, a role within the enterprise associated with the user, and an identifier of the client machine associated with the user.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein enabling the client machines to connect with the network comprises using any of HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, Secure FTP, EDI, INT, AS2, SMTP, and SOAP.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein enabling the client machines to connect with the network comprises enabling connection directly via a public wide area network.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein enabling the client machines to connect with the network comprises enabling connection via an enterprise network associated with the enterprise associated with the users corresponding to the client machines.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the composite service comprises an eCommerce solution and the plurality of services comprises an online storefront service provided by a first service provider, a financial management service provided by a second service provider, and an online payment service provided by a third service provider.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the composite service comprises a customer relationship management (CRM) solution and the plurality of services comprises an online storefront service provided by a first service provider, a financial management service provided by a second service provider, a CRM service provided by a third service provider, and an expense management service provided by a fourth service provider.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the composite service comprises a human resource (HR) management solution and the plurality of services comprises an HR management service provided by a first service provider, a payroll processing service provided by a second service provider, a financial management service provided by a third service provider, and an expense management service provided by a fourth service provider.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising enabling a developer associated with any one of the network and the plurality of enterprises to set up the composite service.

21. A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable medium having computer program instructions embedded therein for enabling at least one computing device to facilitate access to a composite service by a plurality of users having associated client machines, each of the users being associated with one of a plurality of independent enterprises, the computer program instructions comprising:

first instructions for employing a directory which maps an identity for each of the users to a policy framework which defines access information relating to a plurality of services;

second instructions for setting up the composite service by integrating operation of the plurality of services, the plurality of services being associated with and controlled by a plurality of independent service providers;

third instructions for connecting with the client machines and each of the services; and

fourth instructions for selectively facilitating interaction among the client machines and the services with reference to the directory and the policy framework, thereby enabling each of the users to access the plurality of services as an integrated solution.