System and method for identifying and reducing costs of information technology actions in real time

• US 7,865,384 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fischer, Gregory James, Anderson, Timothy Merrill, Baumann, Warren John, McConnell, Kevin C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Borissov; Igor
• Assistant Examiner(s): JOSEPH, TONYA S
• Application Number:
  US11/840,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20090048986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/7.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

A method and system for identifying and reducing costs of information technology actions in real time. Initiation of an information technology (IT) action by a user is detected. An actual cost to perform the IT action is determined in real time prior to a completion of the IT action. A target cost (e.g., average cost) to perform the IT action is obtained. The actual cost is determined to be greater than the target cost. Recommended actions for reducing the actual cost are obtained. A notification is presented to the user in real time and prior to the completion of the IT action. The notification includes a description or a link to a description of the recommended actions.

Claims

1. Detecting, by a computing system, an initiation of an information technology (IT) action by a user of a computing unit coupled to said computing system;

determining, in real time by said computing system and prior to a completion of said IT action, an actual cost to perform said IT action;

obtaining, by said computing system, a target cost to perform said IT action;

comparing, by said computing system, said actual cost to said target cost;

determining, by said computing system, a result of said comparing, wherein said result is said actual cost being greater than said target cost;

obtaining, by said computing system, one or more recommended actions, wherein an outcome of performing said one or more recommended actions is a reduction of said actual cost to perform said IT action;

sending, in real time by said computing system and prior to said completion of said IT action, a notification to said computing unit wherein said notification includes a description of or a link to said one or more recommended actions, and wherein said notification further includes a cost-reducing link associated with a recommended action of said one or more recommended actions;

receiving, by said computing system, a selection of said cost-reducing link; and

automatically performing, by said computing system and in response to said receiving said selection, said recommended action, wherein a result of said automatically performing said recommended action is a reduction in said actual cost.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying, by said computing system, a predefined rule that applies to said IT action, wherein said predefined rule determines whether or not said IT action is permitted to be performed.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said predefined rule determines that said IT action is permitted to be performed, and wherein said method further comprises:

identifying, by said computing system, a predefined policy that determines whether said user is exempt from said predefined rule; and

determining said predefined policy does not exempt said user from said predefined rule.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising identifying, by said computing system, a configuration setting of said computing unit, wherein said configuration setting is associated with said user, and wherein said configuration setting is not pre-set to prevent a presentation of said notification by said computing unit.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising identifying, by said computing system, a configuration setting of said computing unit, wherein said configuration setting is associated with said user, and wherein said configuration setting is pre-set to prevent a presentation of said notification by said computing unit.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining, by said computing system, an amount of expenditures for performing said IT action by said user, wherein said amount of expenditures exceeds a predefined threshold level, and wherein said amount of expenditures is indicated by historical data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said target cost is an average cost to perform said IT action.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said actual cost includes at least one cost of performing said IT action selected from the group consisting of a server cost, a network cost, a delivery cost and a storage cost.

7. Detecting, by said computing system and subsequent to said presenting said notification, an initiation of a subsequent IT action by said user and a performance of a recommended action of said one or more recommended actions, wherein said subsequent IT action is a result of said performance of said recommended action;

determining, by said computing system and prior to a completion of said subsequent IT action, a second actual cost to perform said subsequent IT action;

obtaining, by said computing system, a second target cost to perform said subsequent IT action;

comparing, by said computing system, said second actual cost to said second target cost;

determining, by said computing system, a second result of said comparing said second actual cost to said second target cost, wherein said second result is said second actual cost being less than or equal to said second target cost;

determining, by said computing system, a cost savings associated with performing said subsequent IT action, said cost savings indicated by said second actual cost being less than said actual cost to perform said IT action; and

sending, by said computing system, an acknowledgment of said cost savings to said user.

10. A computing system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable memory unit, coupled to said processor, said memory unit containing instructions that when carried out by said processor implement a method identifying and reducing costs of information technology actions in real time, said method comprising;

detecting, by said computing system, an initiation of an information technology (IT) action by a user of a computing unit coupled to said computing system;

determining, in real time by said computing system and prior to a completion of said IT action, an actual cost to perform said IT action;

obtaining, by said computing system, a target cost to perform said IT action;

comparing, by said computing system, said actual cost to said target cost;

determining, by said computing system, a result of said comparing, wherein said result is said actual cost being greater than said target cost;

obtaining, by said computing system, one or more recommended actions, wherein an outcome of performing said one or more recommended actions is a reduction of said actual cost to perform said IT action;

sending, in real time by said computing system and prior to said completion of said IT action, a notification to said computing unit wherein said notification includes a description of or a link to said one or more recommended actions wherein said notification further includes a cost-reducing link associated with a recommended action of said one or more recommended actions;

receiving, by said computing system, a selection of said cost-reducing link; and

automatically performing, by said computing system and in response to said receiving said selection, said recommended action, wherein a result of said automatically performing said recommended action is a reduction in said actual cost.

11. A computer program product, comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer readable program code stored therein, said computer readable program code containing instructions that when executed by a processor of a computing system implement a method for identifying and reducing costs of information technology actions in real time, said method comprising:

detecting, by said computing system, an initiation of an information technology (IT) action by a user of a computing unit coupled to said computing system;

determining, in real time by said computing system and prior to a completion of said IT action, an actual cost to perform said IT action;

obtaining, by said computing system, a target cost to perform said IT action;

comparing, by said computing system, said actual cost to said target cost;

determining, by said computing system, a result of said comparing, wherein said result is said actual cost being greater than said target cost;

obtaining, by said computing system, one or more recommended actions, wherein an outcome of performing said one or more recommended actions is a reduction of said actual cost to perform said IT action;

sending, in real time by said computing system and prior to said completion of said IT action, a notification to said computing unit wherein said notification includes a description of or a link to said one or more recommended actions, and wherein said notification further includes a cost-reducing link associated with a recommended action of said one or more recommended actions;

receiving, by said computing system, a selection of said cost-reducing link; and

automatically performing, by said computing system and in response to said receiving said selection, said recommended action, wherein a result of said automatically performing said recommended action is a reduction in said actual cost.

12. The program product of claim 11, wherein said method further comprises identifying a predefined rule that applies to said IT action, wherein said predefined rule determines whether or not said IT action is permitted to be performed.

13. The program product of claim 12, wherein said predefined rule determines that said IT action is permitted to be performed, and wherein said method further comprises:

identifying, by said computing system, a predefined policy that determines whether said user is exempt from said predefined rule; and

determining said predefined policy does not exempt said user from said predefined rule.

14. The program product of claim 13, wherein said method further comprises identifying a configuration setting of said computing unit, wherein said configuration setting is associated with said user, and wherein said configuration setting is not pre-set to prevent a presentation of said notification by said computing unit.

15. The program product of claim 13, wherein said method further comprises identifying a configuration setting of said computing unit, wherein said configuration setting is associated with said user, and wherein said configuration setting is pre-set to prevent a presentation of said notification by said computing unit.

16. The program product of claim 15, wherein said method further comprises determining an amount of expenditures for performing said IT action by said user, wherein said amount of expenditures exceeds a predefined threshold level, and wherein said amount of expenditures is indicated by historical data.

17. The program product of claim 11, wherein said method further comprises:

detecting, by said computing system and subsequent to said presenting said notification, an initiation of a subsequent IT action by said user and a performance of a recommended action of said one or more recommended actions, wherein said subsequent IT action is a result of said performance of said recommended action;

determining, by said computing system and prior to a completion of said subsequent IT action, a second actual cost to perform said subsequent IT action;

obtaining, by said computing system, a second target cost to perform said subsequent IT action;

comparing, by said computing system, said second actual cost to said second target cost;

determining, by said computing system, a second result of said comparing said second actual cost to said second target cost, wherein said second result is said second actual cost being less than or equal to said second target cost;

determining, by said computing system, a cost savings associated with performing said subsequent IT action, said cost savings indicated by said second actual cost being less than said actual cost to perform said IT action; and

sending, by said computing system, an acknowledgment of said cost savings to said user.

18. The program product of claim 11, wherein said target cost is an average cost to perform said IT action.

19. The program product of claim 11, wherein said actual cost includes at least one cost of performing said IT action selected from the group consisting of a server cost, a network cost, a delivery cost and a storage cost.

20. Detecting, an initiation of an information technology (IT) action by a user of a computing unit coupled to said computing system;

determining, in real time and prior to a completion of said IT action, an actual cost to perform said IT action;

obtaining a target cost to perform said IT action;

comparing said actual cost to said target cost;

determining, by said computing system, a result of said comparing, wherein said result is said actual cost being greater than said target cost;

obtaining, by said computing system, one or more recommended actions, wherein an outcome of performing said one or more recommended actions is a reduction of said actual cost to perform said IT action;

sending, in real time by said computing system and prior to said completion of said IT action, a notification to said computing unit wherein said notification includes a description of or a link to said one or more recommended actions, and wherein said notification further includes a cost-reducing link associated with a recommended action of said one or more recommended actions;

receiving, by said computing system, a selection of said cost-reducing link; and

automatically performing, by said computing system and in response to said receiving said selection, said recommended action, wherein a result of said automatically performing said recommended action is a reduction in said actual cost.

21. The process of claim 20, wherein said method further comprises identifying a predefined rule that applies to said IT action, wherein said predefined rule determines whether or not said IT action is permitted to be performed.

22. The process of claim 21, wherein said predefined rule determines that said IT action is permitted to be performed, and wherein said method further comprises:

identifying, by said computing system, a predefined policy that determines whether said user is exempt from said predefined rule and determining said predefined policy does not exempt said user from said predefined rule.

23. The process of claim 22, wherein said method further comprises identifying a configuration setting of said computing unit, wherein said configuration setting is associated with said user, and wherein said configuration setting is not pre-set to prevent a presentation of said notification by said computing unit.

24. The process of claim 22, wherein said method further comprises identifying a configuration setting of said computing unit, wherein said configuration setting is associated with said user, and wherein said configuration setting is pre-set to prevent a presentation of said notification by said computing unit.

25. The process of claim 24, wherein said method further comprises determining an amount of expenditures for performing said IT action by said user, wherein said amount of expenditures exceeds a predefined threshold level, and wherein said amount of expenditures is indicated by historical data.

27. The process of claim 20, wherein said target cost is an average cost to perform said IT action.

28. The process of claim 20, wherein said actual cost includes at least one cost of performing said IT action selected from the group consisting of a server cost, a network cost, a delivery cost and a storage cost.

26. Detecting, by said computing system and subsequent to said presenting said notification, an initiation of a subsequent IT action by said user and a performance of a recommended action of said one or more recommended actions, wherein said subsequent IT action is a result of said performance of said recommended action;

determining, by said computing system and prior to a completion of said subsequent IT action, a second actual cost to perform said subsequent IT action;

obtaining, by said computing system, a second target cost to perform said subsequent IT action;

comparing, by said computing system, said second actual cost to said second target cost;

determining, by said computing system, a second result of said comparing said second actual cost to said second target cost, wherein said second result is said second actual cost being less than or equal to said second target cost;

determining, by said computing system, a cost savings associated with performing said subsequent IT action, said cost savings indicated by said second actual cost being less than said actual cost to perform said IT action; and

sending, by said computing system, an acknowledgment of said cost savings to said user.