ENTERPRISE MANAGED SYSTEMS WITH COLLABORATIVE APPLICATION SUPPORT

• US 20130297700A1
• Filed: 05/07/2013
• Published: 11/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Hayton, Richard, Batson, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 9,424,554 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Described herein is an enterprise system including an enterprise social platform associated with an application store platform, which is accessible by a computing device in a secure manner. The enterprise social platform stores information indicating user roles within the enterprise and provides at least one social networking feature to a group of users that are associated based on the roles, where the social networking feature is associated with an enterprise application store. An application catalog system of the enterprise application store platform includes sets of enterprise applications that are available for selection by enterprise users, and the application catalog system provides access to selected enterprise applications. An application store storage system includes a plurality of files associated with each one of the plurality of applications, wherein the plurality of files includes enterprise customized application templates, enterprise application usage information, application evaluation information, application recommendations, or an application support forum. An application store management system presents selected ones of the files to a user within the enterprise social platform based on the user'"'"'s membership in the group of users.

Claims

1. An enterprise system accessible by a computing device in a secure manner, the enterprise system comprising:

an enterprise social platform associated with an enterprise application store platform,

wherein the enterprise social platform stores information indicating user roles within the enterprise and provides at least one social networking feature to a group of users that are associated based on the user roles, the social networking feature being associated with an enterprise application store;

an application catalog system of the enterprise application store platform including sets of enterprise applications that are available for selection by enterprise users, the application catalog system providing access to selected enterprise applications including from an application store,

an application store storage system including a plurality of files associated with each one of the enterprise applications, wherein the plurality of files includes at least one of enterprise customized application templates, enterprise application usage information, application evaluation information, application recommendations, and an application support forum; and

an application store management system for presenting selected ones of the files to a user within the enterprise social platform based on the user'"'"'s membership in the group of users.

2. The enterprise system of claim 1, wherein the social networking feature is at least one of a comment feature, an email feature, a chat feature, an instant messaging feature, an audio conferencing feature, a video conferencing feature, a file sharing feature, a media sharing feature, a document sharing feature, and a file handling feature.

3. The enterprise system of claim 1, wherein the social networking feature is at least one of a rating feature, a recommendation feature, a help feature, an approval request feature, a how-to feature, and an evaluation feature.

4. The enterprise system of claim 1, wherein the user role is based on at least one of an organization chart, an employee classification, an enterprise role, an enterprise department classification, a project team membership, and an enterprise grouping based upon a closeness metric.

5. The enterprise system of claim 1, wherein the application store management system provides a customized list of available enterprise applications to a user based on the user role.

6. The enterprise system of claim 1, wherein the application store is a publicly accessible application store.

7. The enterprise system of claim 1, wherein the enterprise application store platform includes a private enterprise store with downloadable applications.

8. The enterprise system of claim 7, wherein the application catalog system links to the private enterprise store.

9. The enterprise system of claim 1, wherein the enterprise social platform provides a customized user interface for user interaction in an application support forum.

10. The enterprise system of claim 1, wherein the application store management system determines whether user authorization for accessing an application is required based on the user role.

11. The enterprise system of claim 10, wherein an on-line approval process is initiated by the application store management system if an application is not pre-approved for a user.

12. The enterprise system of claim 1, wherein the application store management system provides application recommendations to a user based on user type.

13. The enterprise system of claim 1, further comprising associating an enterprise application with a corresponding sponsor service and a corresponding sponsor, wherein the corresponding sponsor service is at least one of a recommendation service, an application help service, and an application approval service, wherein the corresponding sponsor is a group based on the user role, and wherein the application store management system presents a user with at least one sponsored service based on the enterprise applications selected by the user.

14. The enterprise system of claim 1, further comprising providing an application wrapper for at least one of the enterprise applications, the application wrapper adapted to secure execution of the enterprise application on a mobile device of an enterprise user.

15. The enterprise system of claim 14, wherein the security of the application wrapper is based on the role of the user of the mobile device in the enterprise.

16. The enterprise system of claim 1, further comprising providing a virtual private network (VPN) for delivery of at least one of an enterprise application, the VPN being specific to a particular enterprise application, the VPN providing a secure connection between the mobile device and the enterprise to facilitate secure use of the enterprise application by the user of the mobile device.

17. The enterprise system of claim 16, wherein the VPN is configured to allow execution of the enterprise application features on the mobile device while storage of data that is identified as sensitive based on the role of the user is allowed only on a secure server of the enterprise and prevented on the mobile device of the user.

18. The enterprise system of claim 1, wherein the enterprise social platform and the enterprise application store are accessed by a secure, single sign-on facility that includes security based on the role of the user in the enterprise.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising determining whether user authorization for accessing an application is required based on an associated user role of a user.

19. A method for providing application support to enterprise users, the method comprising:

storing information indicating user roles within an enterprise,

providing at least one social networking feature in an enterprise social platform to a group of users that are associated based on the user roles, wherein the social networking feature is associated with an enterprise application store,

storing a catalog of enterprise applications that are available for selection by enterprise users,

storing a plurality of files associated with each one of the enterprise applications in the catalog, wherein the plurality of files includes at least one of enterprise customized application templates, enterprise application usage information, application evaluation information, application recommendations, and an application support forum; and

presenting selected ones of the files to a user within the enterprise social platform based on the user'"'"'s membership in the group of users.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising providing a customized list of available enterprise applications to a user based on an associated user role.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising providing a customized user interface within the enterprise social platform for user interaction in an application support forum.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising downloading an enterprise application from a user interface of the enterprise social platform.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising providing an application wrapper for the downloaded enterprise application, the application wrapper adapted to secure execution of the enterprise application on a mobile device of an enterprise user.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising providing a virtual private network (VPN) for delivery of an enterprise application, the VPN being specific to a particular enterprise application, the VPN providing a secure connection between a mobile device and an enterprise to facilitate secure use of the enterprise application by the user of the mobile device.

23. The method of claim 23, further comprising initiating an approval process if an application is not pre-approved for a user.