Systems and Methods for Streamlining the Provisioning of Wireless Applications in an Organization

• US 20080052138A1
• Filed: 07/31/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tangoe US, Inc. (Asentinel Holdings LP), Nexether, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tangoe Incorporated
• Inventors: Gamble, Charles, Marsh, William
• Granted Patent: US 8,433,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data

Abstract

Systems and methods for streamlining the procurement and provisioning of devices, services, and applications are described. At least one embodiment includes a method comprising receiving a request from a member associated with an organization, the request operable to select at least one application to be executed on at least one device, the at least one device configured to operate at least one service; receiving a device selection based on the at least one requested application; receiving a service selection based on the device selection; generating orders to one or more entities, the one or more entities operable to fulfill the device request, service selection, and the application selection; and procuring the at least one device, the at least one device being provisioned with the selected service and the selected application.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request from a member associated with an organization, the request enabling selection of at least one application to be executed on at least one device, the at least one device configured to operate at least one service;

receiving a device selection based on the at least one requested application;

receiving a service selection based on the device selection;

generating orders to one or more entities, the one or more entities operable to fulfill the device request, service selection, and the application selection; and

procuring the at least one device, the at least one device being provisioned with the selected service and the selected application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

checking a member profile associated with the member; and

generating a list of services and applications based on the member profile.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the service selection and the application selection from the member is performed by selecting from the list of devices, services and applications.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving the request to procure the at least one device further comprises:

generating a list of compatible devices based on the application selection;

receiving a device selection from the member based on the list.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

generating the member profile information;

generating a system profile associated with the selected device;

transmitting the member profile and system profile to the one or more entities, the one or more entities configured to utilize the member profile and system profile to fulfill the device request, service selection, and the application selection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating orders to the one or more entities comprises:

first sending the orders to the organization; and

receiving approval from the organization to send the orders; and

sending the orders to the one or more entities at substantially the same time.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving approval from the organization comprises receiving approval from a plurality of approvers, wherein the member is notified if one of the plurality of approvers rejects the orders.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating invoices corresponding to the orders; and

forwarding the invoices to the organization.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a service selection further comprises determining whether the selected service is an existing service associated with the member,

wherein if the selected service is an existing service, the existing service is transferred to the selected device.

wherein if the selected service is a new service, the new service is provisioned for the selected device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving confirmation from the one or more entities upon fulfilling the orders.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one device is one of:

a device adapted for wireless local area service,

a device adapted for wireless wide area service, and

a Fixed-Mobile Converged (FMC) device adapted for wireless local area network (WiLAN) service and wireless wide area network (WiWAN) service.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one service comprises one of a local area service and a wide area service.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing a database to determine compatibility between the at least one selected device, the at least one selected service, and the at least one selected application.

14. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

examining the member profile information to determine device use, application use, and service use;

determining, based on the device use, application use, and service use, whether training information is to be sent to the member;

extracting the training information from a training manual database; and

delivering the training information to the member.

15. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

examining the member profile information to determine server-side configuration information for the at least one device, the at least one application, and the at least one service;

compiling the server-side configuration information;

delivering the server-side configuration to a server-side application administrator configured to provision the at least one application; and

updating the member profile information with information generated by the server-side application administrator during provisioning.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the server-side configuration is delivered to the server-side application administrator by one of:

a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) file;

an Extensible Markup Language (XML) file; and

an application programming interface (API).

17. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

examining the member profile information to determine organization information required by the fulfilling entities and other members in the organization;

compiling the organization information;

delivering the organization information to the other members and to the fulfilling entities; and

updating the member profile information.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the organization information comprises accounting information related to procuring and provisioning the at least one device with the at least one service and the at least one application.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the organization information is delivered by one of Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP) and physical mail delivery.

20. A computer program stored on a computer-readable medium for execution by a processing device, the computer program configured to perform the steps of claim 1.

21. A system for provisioning applications for a device, the system configured to:

receive a request from a member associated with an organization, the request enabling procurement of at least one device, the at least one device configured to operate at least one service, the device further configured to execute at least one application; and

receive a service selection and an application selection from the member.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the system comprises a provisioning management module.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the provisioning management module comprises:

a procurement portal configured to allow the member enter the request for the at least one device, the service selection, and the application;

an authorization module configured to confirm that the member has permission to install the selected service and selected application on the device, the authorization module further configured to confirm that the selected device is compatible with the selected service and selected application; and

an order generator configured to generate and send orders to one or more entities at substantially the same time, the entities operable to fulfill the device request, service selection, and the application selection.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the authorization module confirms that the member has permission by checking member profile information associated with the member.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the authorization module is further configured to generate a list of compatible devices based on the application selection and receive a device selection from the member based on the list.

26. The system of claim 21, further comprising a database operable to correlate compatibility parameters between the at least one device, the at least one service, and the at least one application.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the provisioning management module is further configured to first send the orders to the organization for approval of the orders.

28. A system for provisioning applications for a device comprising:

means for receiving a request from a procuring entity at a provisioning management module, the request enabling procurement of at least one device, the at least one device configured to operate at least one service, the device further configured to execute at least one application;

means for receiving a service selection and an application selection from the procuring entity at the provisioning management module;

means for generating orders to one or more entities at substantially the same time, the one or more entities operable to fulfill the device request, service selection, and the application selection; and

means for procuring the at least one device, wherein the at least one device is provisioned with the selected service and the selected application.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

means for checking a procuring entity profile associated with the procuring entity; and

means for generating a list of services and applications based on the procuring entity profile.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein means for receiving a service selection and an application selection from the procuring entity further comprises means for selecting from the list of devices, services and applications.

31. The system of claim 30, further comprising:

means for generating a list of compatible devices based on the application selection;

means for receiving a device selection from the procuring entity based on the list.

32. The system of claim 29, further comprising:

means for generating the procuring entity profile;

means for generating a system profile associated with the selected device;

means for transmitting the procuring entity profile and system profile to the one or more entities, the entities configured to use the procuring entity profile and system profile to fulfill the device request, service selection, and the application selection.