ALLOWING A USER TO EASILY COLLABORATE WITH USERS FROM OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS WHERE THE USER HAS VISITOR STATUS BY SELECTING AN OBJECT ASSOCIATED WITH THE OUTSIDE ORGANIZATION THAT IS DISPLAYED ON THE USER INTERFACE OF THE USER'S COMPUTING DEVICE

• US 20170155638A1
• Filed: 02/14/2017
• Published: 06/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Durazzano, David L., Banatwala, Mustansir, Brooks, David A., Travis, Amy D.
• Granted Patent: US 10,075,433 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• 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

A method, system and computer program product for allowing a user to easily collaborate with users from different organizations. In response to authenticating the user to access the environment of the user'"'"'s home organization, a list of outside organizations where the user has visitor status is obtained. Outside organization(s) in the list of outside organizations that have content to be viewed by the user are identified. An object associated with the user'"'"'s home organization, objects associated with the outside organizations where the user has visitor status as well as indications (e.g., star) associated with those outside organizations that have content to be shared with the user are displayed on the user interface of the user'"'"'s computing device. In this manner, the user will be able to collaborate with an outside organization that has content to be shared in response to selecting the object associated with the outside organization.

Claims

1. A method for allowing a user to easily collaborate with users from different organizations, the method comprising:

receiving authentication credentials from a first user to log into a tenant space of a home organization;

obtaining a list of outside organizations where said first user has visitor status in response to authenticating said first user to access said tenant space of said home organization;

searching and identifying, by a processor, one or more outside organizations in said list of outside organizations that have content to be viewed by said first user; and

displaying on a user interface of a computing device of said first user an object associated with said home organization and objects associated with outside organizations in said list of outside organizations where said first user has visitor status as well as displaying one or more indications associated with said one or more organizations in said list of outside organizations with content to be viewed by said first user.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an invite request by said first user to collaborate with a second user from an outside organization; and

adding said outside organization to said list of outside organizations where said first user has visitor status.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising:

obtaining authentication credentials to log into said outside organization in response to receiving said invite request by said first user to collaborate with said second user from said outside organization; and

storing said authentication credentials to log into said outside organization.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 further comprising:

receiving a selection of an object associated with said outside organization; and

automatically logging into a tenant space of said outside organization using said obtained authentication credentials to log into said outside organization in response to receiving said selection of said object associated with said outside organization.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 further comprising:

allowing collaboration to occur between said first user and said second user.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein said collaboration between said first user and said second user occurs in a cloud environment.

7. A method for allowing a user to easily collaborate with users from different organizations, the method comprising:

receiving an invite request by a first user to collaborate with a second user of an outside organization, wherein said invite request is issued by said outside organization granting visitor status to said first user with said outside organization;

obtaining, by a processor, authentication credentials from said outside organization to log into said outside organization;

storing said obtained authentication credentials;

displaying on a user interface of a computing device of said first user an object associated with said outside organization;

receiving a selection of said object associated with said outside organization; and

automatically logging into a tenant space of said outside organization, by said processor, using said obtained authentication credentials to log into said outside organization in response to receiving said selection of said object associated with said outside organization.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 further comprising:

adding said outside organization to a list of outside organizations where said first user has visitor status.

9. The method as recited in claim 7 further comprising:

receiving authentication credentials from said first user to log into a tenant space of a home organization.

10. The method as recited in claim 9 further comprising:

obtaining a list of outside organizations where said first user has visitor status in response to authenticating said first user to access said tenant space of said home organization.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising:

searching and identifying one or more outside organizations in said list of outside organizations that have content to be viewed by said first user.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising:

displaying on said user interface of said computing device of said first user an object associated with said home organization and objects associated with outside organizations in said list of outside organizations where said first user has visitor status as well as displaying one or more indications associated with said one or more organizations in said list of outside organizations with content to be viewed by said first user.

13. The method as recited in claim 7 further comprising:

allowing collaboration to occur between said first user of a home organization and said second user of said outside organization.

14. A computer program product for allowing a user to easily collaborate with users from different organizations, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code comprising the programming instructions for:

receiving an invite request by a first user to collaborate with a second user of an outside organization, wherein said invite request is issued by said outside organization granting visitor status to said first user with said outside organization;

obtaining authentication credentials from said outside organization to log into said outside organization;

storing said obtained authentication credentials;

displaying on a user interface of a computing device of said first user an object associated with said outside organization;

receiving a selection of said object associated with said outside organization; and

automatically logging into a tenant space of said outside organization using said obtained authentication credentials to log into said outside organization in response to receiving said selection of said object associated with said outside organization.

15. The computer program product as recited in claim 14, wherein the program code further comprises the programming instructions for:

adding said outside organization to a list of outside organizations where said first user has visitor status.

16. The computer program product as recited in claim 14, wherein the program code further comprises the programming instructions for:

receiving authentication credentials from said first user to log into a tenant space of a home organization.

17. The computer program product as recited in claim 16, wherein the program code further comprises the programming instructions for:

obtaining a list of outside organizations where said first user has visitor status in response to authenticating said first user to access said tenant space of said home organization.

18. The computer program product as recited in claim 17, wherein the program code further comprises the programming instructions for:

searching and identifying one or more outside organizations in said list of outside organizations that have content to be viewed by said first user.

19. The computer program product as recited in claim 18, wherein the program code further comprises the programming instructions for:

displaying on said user interface of said computing device of said first user an object associated with said home organization and objects associated with outside organizations in said list of outside organizations where said first user has visitor status as well as displaying one or more indications associated with said one or more organizations in said list of outside organizations with content to be viewed by said first user.

20. The computer program product as recited in claim 14, wherein the program code further comprises the programming instructions for:

allowing collaboration to occur between said first user of a home organization and said second user of said outside organization.