ONLINE SERVICE SYNDICATION

• US 20100131380A1
• Filed: 11/26/2008
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kacharia, Jignesh, Burger, Michel, Nagassubramani, Rammohan, Sunkammurali, Krishna Kumar, Badwe, Ashutosh, D'Souza, Roy Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,311,947 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

Embodiments described herein are directed to syndicating an online service to at least one syndication partner of a syndicator. In one embodiment, a computer system determines that a syndication relationship has been established between a syndicator and a syndication partner, where the syndication relationship is established to provide syndicated services to syndication partners and clients. The computer system indicates which services provided by the syndicator are available for syndication to the syndication partner and which type of usage information the partner is to provide in order to use the syndicator'"'"'s services. The computer system receives usage information from the syndication partner specifying which services are to be syndicated and specifying parameters for those services indicating operating parameters specific to the use of the syndicated services. Based on the received usage information, the computer system provides the service to the syndication partner in the manner indicated by the received usage information.

Claims

1. At a syndicator computer system in a computing networking environment, a method for syndicating an online service to at least one syndication partner of the syndicator, the method comprising:

an act of determining that a syndication relationship has been established between a syndicator and a syndication partner, the syndication relationship being established to provide syndicated services to syndication partners and clients;

an act of the syndicator indicating which services provided by the syndicator are available for syndication to the syndication partner and which type of usage information the partner is to provide in order to use the syndicator'"'"'s services;

an act of receiving usage information from the syndication partner specifying which services are to be syndicated and specifying parameters for those services indicating operating parameters specific to the use of the syndicated services; and

based on the received usage information, an act of providing the service to the syndication partner in the manner indicated by the received usage information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the syndicator and the syndication partner authenticate to each other in a mutual authentication to establish the syndication relationship.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the syndication relationship is established through a trusted third party, wherein both the syndicator and the syndication partner are authenticated by the trusted third party.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

an act of receiving updated usage information from the syndication partner; and

based on received updated usage information, an act of updating the syndication relationship such that any changes provided in the received update are automatically applied to the established syndication relationship.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the syndicator maintains a catalog of all of the services provided by the syndicator that can be syndicated to a syndication partner.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the syndicator defines how information is to be communicated between the syndicator and other syndication partners.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein escalation rules and alternative paths of communication are defined and validated by the syndicator.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of synchronizing the syndicator and at least one syndication partner such that the syndication partner is updated and made aware of any changes to the syndicator'"'"'s offerings.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the syndicator provides a billing service capable of implementing a partner-specified customized billing scheme for each syndicated service.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the syndicator enables the syndication partner to select an appropriate support model for each syndicated service.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the syndicator enables the syndication partner to select an appropriate service level agreement for each syndicated service.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the syndicator enables the syndication partner to select a geo-affinity preference for compliance with appropriate local regulations for each syndicated service.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the syndicator enables the syndication partner to select a branding model for each syndicated service, such that each syndicated service can be individually labeled.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the syndicator'"'"'s service offerings are provided for ordering by syndication partners, such that syndication partners can subscribe to various syndicator offerings.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the syndicator reserves a portion of the syndicator'"'"'s computer resources for providing the syndication partner'"'"'s syndicated services.

16. At a syndicator computer system in a computer networking environment, a system for syndicating an online service to at least one syndication partner, the system comprising:

one or more processors;

system memory;

a service delivery platform configured to establish a syndication relationship between a syndicator and a plurality of different syndication partners, the syndication relationship being established to provide syndicated services to syndication partners and clients, wherein each syndication relationship is established using metadata provided by each syndication partner to the syndicator; and

a mediation platform that allows each of the plurality of syndication partners to integrate with the syndicator through a single point of access, the integration including;

an act of providing a catalog listing of all the online services provided by the syndicator including built-in services for managing services syndicated through the syndication relationship;

an act of receiving an indication from at least one of the syndication partners comprising metadata that indicates which services are to be syndicated and further indicates one or more parameters for providing the service; and

an act of providing those online services indicated in the metadata to the syndication partner, wherein the services are provided according to the parameters included in the received metadata.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the mediation platform provides transformation rules for transforming parameters received in the metadata to corresponding parameters of the syndicator, such that the parameters in the syndicator'"'"'s data fields correspond to the parameters in the syndication partner'"'"'s data fields.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the service delivery platform and the mediation platform are modular and are configured for operation on the same computer system, on different computer systems or on a distributed computer system.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the syndication partners syndicates a service provided by the syndicator to a second, different syndication partner.

20. A computer program product for implementing a method for syndicating an online service to at least one syndication partner of the syndicator, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of the computing system, cause the computing system to perform the method, the method comprising:

an act of determining that a syndication relationship has been established between a syndicator and a syndication partner, the syndication relationship being established to provide syndicated services to syndication partners and clients;

an act of the syndicator indicating which services provided by the syndicator are available for syndication to the syndication partner and which type of usage information the partner is to provide in order to use the syndicator'"'"'s services;

an act of receiving usage information from the syndication partner specifying which services are to be syndicated and specifying parameters for those services indicating operating parameters specific to the use of the syndicated services; and

based on the received usage information, an act of providing the service to the syndication partner in the manner indicated by the received usage information.