E-BUSINESS SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DIVERSIFIED BUSINESSES

• US 20070118613A1
• Filed: 01/24/2007
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Skibinski, Jay, Festa, Phil, Seery, Shaun, Greiner, David
• Application Number:
  US11/626,612
• Publication Number:
  US 20070118613A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A system for virtual restructuring of a diversified company, or of a joint business enterprise, allows a plurality of disparate, autonomous business units within the diversified or joint entity that each may have its own business methods and information systems to nevertheless collectively reach, and market to, customers as if they were an integrated business entity. The system provides a common portal and single user interface that, in an illustrated embodiment, are supported by a presentation layer, a legacy applications layer that communicates with the information systems of the disparate business units, and an applications layer that intermediates between the presentation and legacy application layers.

Claims

1. A method for providing electronic business operations for a diversified company, wherein the diversified company comprises a plurality of business units each operating a legacy information system, the legacy information systems of the business units differing in their implementation, the method allowing a customer of at least one of the plurality of business units to interact with others of the plurality of business units through a common interaction layer, without the need to replace any of the legacy information systems, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a legacy applications layer in communication with the differing legacy information systems of the business units;

providing an applications layer in communication with the legacy applications layer;

providing a presentation layer in communication with the applications layer, the presentation layer supporting user transactions with the legacy information systems, indirectly through the applications layer and the legacy applications layer through a single user interface, whereby a customer of at least one business unit interacts with a second of the plurality of business units through the single user interface.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the applications layer comprises an enterprise application integration engine.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the applications layer comprises a combined product database.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the applications layer comprises an enterprise application integration engine and a combined product database.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of business units and its information system are associated with the diversified company as a result of an acquisition from a third party.