End-to-end management of carrier services for enterprises and resellers

• US 7,933,813 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2007
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wholesale Carrier Services, Inc. (BCM One, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Christopher S. Barton
• Inventors: Barton, Christopher S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen; Will
• Assistant Examiner(s): Desai; Resha
• Application Number:
  US11/936,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20090125409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,265 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

The present invention provides a software based system for end-to-end handling of communication services that includes a set of Web based interfaces. The set of Web interfaces can permit a user to view, search and select a set of communication services of different providers, each service being presented with a real-time price for the service. Contracts can be automatically generated for selected ones of the communication services. The contracts can specify the real-time price for each service. An order status of the communication services can be monitored using the set of Web based interfaces. Invoices can be generated for the communication services. When different providers provide the communication services, a single integrated bill can be provided for services of the different providers. Usages of the communication services can be viewed online by selectable user categories, which decompose into per-user usage entries.

Claims

1. A system for end-to-end handling of communication services comprising:

a web server remotely located to clients and configured to serve, over a network, a set of web interfaces renderable within a standard web browser, wherein said set of web interfaces are configured to;

permit a user to view, search, and select a set of communication services of different providers, each service being presented with a real-time price for the service;

automatically generate contracts for selected ones of the communication services, wherein said contracts specify the real-time price for each service;

monitor an order status of communication services selected and contracted for using the set of Web based interfaces;

generate invoices related to the communication services, wherein when a plurality of different providers provide the communication services, a single integrated bill is provided for services of the different providers;

view usages of the communication services online by selectable user categories, which decompose into per-user usage entries; and

a server-side data store configured to establish user specific profiles, wherein each of the set of Web based interfaces use customization settings established within the server-side data store, wherein the customization settings change presentation aspects of the Web based interfaces, wherein the details specific to the resellers and the service consumers are hidden from the different service providers, and wherein the set of interfaces are configured to be used by resellers who select, contract for, order, receive, and manage communication services using the set of Web based interfaces, wherein the resellers are permitted to establish rates via the Web based interfaces which service consumers contracting with the resellers are to pay, wherein the set of Web based interfaces comprise a consumer version of the interfaces that generates invoices and permits consumers to view usages in accordance with the reseller established rates, and wherein the resellers are permitted to enter reseller'"'"'s branding elements, wherein the consumer version of the interfaces are branded in accordance with the reseller'"'"'s branding elements, and wherein different ones of the user specific profiles are for different service consumers of the resellers, and wherein the set of interfaces permit the resellers to establish profiles for a set of reselling agents, who receive at least one of commissions and sales based compensation from the reseller associated with the communication services, wherein the set of Web based interfaces generate invoices for the commissions in accordance with reseller established criteria, wherein the reselling agents are granted selective access to the Web based interfaces in accordance with permissions established by the reseller, for whom the reselling agent is a representative.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein users are permitted to use the set of Web based interfaces to select, contract for, order, receive, and manage communication services through a Web browser without directly interacting with human agents.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the software based system is associated with a wholesale carrier, which receives communication services from the different providers at wholesale rates and which resells these wholesale services, wherein said wholesale carrier maintains data presented within the set of Web based services using computing systems associated with the wholesale carrier, wherein the real-time price is a price charged by the wholesale carrier, wherein the generated contracts are between a user designated entity and the wholesale carrier, wherein the invoices comprise amounts owed to the wholesale carrier for the communication services.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the wholesale carrier permits enterprises to directly select, contract for, order, receive, and manage communication services using the set of Web based interfaces.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the wholesale carrier permits resellers to select, contract for, order, receive, and manage communication services using the set of Web based interfaces, wherein the resellers are permitted to establish rates via the Web based interfaces which service consumers are to pay, wherein the set of Web based interfaces comprise a consumer version of the interfaces that generates invoices and permits consumers to view usages in accordance with the reseller established rates, and wherein the resellers are permitted to enter reseller'"'"'s branding elements, wherein the consumer version of the interfaces are branded in accordance with the reseller'"'"'s branding elements.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein consumer specific details related to the communication services associated with the set of Web based interfaces are abstracted from the different providers of the communication services, wherein the different providers provide the communication services under high-volume contracts between an entity other than that which permits the communication services to be contracts for via the set of Web based interfaces.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said set of Web based interfaces are able to dynamically generate a plurality of reports, said reports comprising service quote reports, contracts, order status reports, invoices, and utilization reports, wherein each of these reports are stored and maintained within a server-side data store accessible via the set of Web based interfaces.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein each of the reports are editable by users and wherein users are able to store edited versions of the reports in the server-side data store.

9. A software based system for end-to-end handling of communication services comprising:

a web server remotely located to clients and configured to serve, over a network, a set of web interfaces renderable within a standard web browser, wherein said set of web interfaces are configured to;

permit a user to view, search, and select a set of communication services of different providers, each service being presented with a real-time price for the service;

automatically generate contracts for selected ones of the communication services, wherein said contracts specify the real-time price for each service;

monitor an order status of communication services selected and contracted for using the set of Web based interfaces;

generate invoices related to the communication services, wherein when a plurality of different providers provide the communication services, a single integrated bill is provided for services of the different providers;

view usages of the communication services online by selectable user categories, which decompose into per-user usage entries; and

a server-side data store configured to establish user specific profiles, wherein each of the set of Web based interfaces use customization settings established within the server-side data store, wherein the customization settings change presentation aspects of the Web based interfaces, wherein the details specific to the resellers and the service consumers are hidden from the different service providers, and wherein the set of interfaces are configured to be used by resellers who select, contract for, order, receive, and manage communication services using the set of Web based interfaces, wherein the resellers are permitted to establish rates via the Web based interfaces which service consumers contracting with the resellers are to pay, wherein the set of Web based interfaces comprise a consumer version of the interfaces that generates invoices and permits consumers to view usages in accordance with the reseller established rates, and wherein the resellers are permitted to enter reseller'"'"'s branding elements, wherein the consumer version of the interfaces are branded in accordance with the reseller'"'"'s branding elements, and wherein different ones of the user specific profiles are for different service consumers of the resellers, wherein the details specific to the resellers and the service consumers are hidden from the different service providers.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein users are permitted to use the set of Web based interfaces to select, contract for, order, receive, and manage communication services through a Web browser without directly interacting with human agents.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the software based system is associated with a wholesale carrier, which receives communication services from the different providers at wholesale rates and which resells these wholesale services, wherein said wholesale carrier maintains data presented within the set of Web based services using computing systems associated with the wholesale carrier, wherein the real-time price is a price charged by the wholesale carrier, wherein the generated contracts are between a user designated entity and the wholesale carrier, wherein the invoices comprise amounts owed to the wholesale carrier for the communication services.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the wholesale carrier permits enterprises to directly select, contract for, order, receive, and manage communication services using the set of Web based interfaces.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the wholesale carrier permits resellers to select, contract for, order, receive, and manage communication services using the set of Web based interfaces, wherein the resellers are permitted to establish rates via the Web based interfaces which service consumers are to pay, wherein the set of Web based interfaces comprise a consumer version of the interfaces that generates invoices and permits consumers to view usages in accordance with the reseller established rates, and wherein the resellers are permitted to enter reseller'"'"'s branding elements, wherein the consumer version of the interfaces are branded in accordance with the reseller'"'"'s branding elements.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein consumer specific details related to the communication services associated with the set of Web based interfaces are abstracted from the different providers of the communication services, wherein the different providers provide the communication services under high-volume contracts between an entity other than that which permits the communication services to be contracts for via the set of Web based interfaces.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein said set of Web based interfaces are able to dynamically generate a plurality of reports, said reports comprising service quote reports, contracts, order status reports, invoices, and utilization reports, wherein each of these reports are stored and maintained within a server-side data store accessible via the set of Web based interfaces.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein each of the reports are editable by users and wherein users are able to store edited versions of the reports in the server-side data store.

17. A method for end-to-end handling of communication services using a set of Web based interfaces renderable within a standard Web browser served over a network from a Web server to remotely located Web clients and using a server-side data store configured to establish user specific profiles, said method comprising:

permitting a user to view, search, and select a set of communication services of different providers, each service being presented with a real-time price for the service;

automatically generating contracts for selected ones of the communication services, wherein said contracts specify the real-time price for each service;

monitoring an order status of communication services selected and contracted for using the set of Web based interfaces;

generating invoices related to the communication services, wherein when a plurality of different providers provide the communication services, a single integrated bill is provided for services of the different providers; and

viewing usages of the communication services online by selectable user categories, which decompose into per-user usage entries, wherein each of the set of Web based interfaces use customization settings established within the server-side data store, wherein the customization settings change presentation aspects of the Web based interfaces, wherein the details specific to the resellers and the service consumers are hidden from the different service providers, and wherein the set of interfaces are used by resellers who select, contract for, order, receive, and manage communication services, wherein the resellers establish rates via the Web based interfaces which service consumers contracting with the resellers are to pay, wherein the set of Web based interfaces comprise a consumer version of the interfaces that generates invoices and permits consumers to view usages in accordance with the reseller established rates, and wherein the resellers enter reseller'"'"'s branding elements, wherein the consumer version of the interfaces are branded in accordance with the reseller'"'"'s branding elements, and wherein different ones of the user specific profiles are for different service consumers of the resellers, wherein the details specific to the resellers and the service consumers are hidden from the different service providers.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein users are permitted to use the set of Web based interfaces to select, contract for, order, receive, and manage communication services through a Web browser without directly interacting with human agents.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the software based system is associated with a wholesale carrier, which receives communication services from the different providers at wholesale rates and which resells these wholesale services, wherein said wholesale carrier maintains data presented within the set of Web based services using computing systems associated with the wholesale carrier, wherein the real-time price is a price charged by the wholesale carrier, wherein the generated contracts are between a user designated entity and the wholesale carrier, wherein the invoices comprise amounts owed to the wholesale carrier for the communication services.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said set of Web based interfaces are able to dynamically generate a plurality of reports, said reports comprising service quote reports, contracts, order status reports, invoices, and utilization reports, wherein each of these reports are stored and maintained within a server-side data store accessible via the set of Web based interfaces.