System for providing integrated voice and data services

• US 8,346,932 B1
• Filed: 07/30/2008
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SUTUS, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SUTUS, Inc.
• Inventors: Holland, Phil, Brace, Jeff, Spaay, Henk, Leonard, Martin, Baker, Peter Donald, Sample, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Jungwon
• Application Number:
  US12/183,024
• Time in Patent Office: 1,616 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/204, 709223-224, 709/226, 709/220, 379/88.22, 379/88.13, 379/88.12, 370/356, 370/401, 455/466
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Embodiments of the use case-based management system enable non-technical users to manage devices, resources, and services that are remote to the premises where their integrated system management devices, applications, or appliances are located. This permits users to subscribe to remote voice, data, and other services without having to first configure their local equipment to ensure proper acceptance of these services. The users can simply select the desired remote services in the use case-based management system, enter a minimum amount of non-technical information such as account information provided by the service provider, and enable the service. The use case-based management system automatically creates generalized system management requests and passes them externally to the proper remote service, resource, or device managers, which then translate and broker these requests into proper low-level commands. Example remote services that can be managed include domain and sub-domain registration services, email seconding services, and Internet telephony services.

Claims

1. A system for providing integrated voice and data services to a business, the system comprising:

a plurality of integrated services routers, each integrated services router locally connected to a respective set of user devices and to a network, each integrated services router configured to provide at least telephone, email, and file sharing services to user devices, and configured to provide shared workspaces for managing user access to services and associated resources, at least one of the integrated services routers including an embedded wireless access point; and

a remote manager host that is coupled via said network to each of the plurality of integrated services routers, said remote manager host providing access to additional services that are not implemented by the integrated services routers, said additional services including a health monitoring service that enables a health of the plurality of integrated services routers to be remotely monitored.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the additional services further include a domain name registration service.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the additional services further include an email seconding service that provides a backup email destination when an email server within an integrated services router becomes unavailable.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the additional services further include a fleet management service that enables the plurality of integrated services routers to be remotely configured via a secure connection.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the additional services further include an update service that provides software updates to the integrated services routers.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote manager host provides the integrated service routers access to (1) at least one hosted service hosted by the remote manager host, and (2) at least one brokered service provided by a third party service provider.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the integrated services routers is configured to implement a shared workspace that defines a call flow for processing incoming calls to an organization, said call flow specifying multiple successive destinations for routing an incoming call when the call is unanswered.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the integrated services routers is configured to implement a shared workspace that provides a defined group of individuals with shared access to files, email accounts and voice services.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the integrated services routers are additionally configured to implement personal workspaces that are personal to respective users.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein each integrated services router is configured to connect to and manage a respective group of telephonic devices and computing devices.

11. A system for providing integrated voice and data services within a business organization, the system comprising:

a plurality of integrated services routers, each integrated services router configured to be connected to a respective set of user devices and to a network, each integrated services router configured to provide at least telephone, email, and file sharing services to user devices, and configured to provide shared workspaces for managing user access to services and associated resources, at least one of the integrated services routers including an embedded wireless access point; and

a remote manager host configured to connect via said network to each of the plurality of integrated services routers and to provide access to additional services that are not implemented by the integrated services routers, said additional services including at least one of the following;

(a) a health monitoring service that enables a health of the plurality of integrated services routers to be remotely monitored, (b) an email seconding service that provides a backup email destination when an email server within an integrated services router becomes unavailable, (c) a domain name registration service, (d) a management service that enables the plurality of integrated services routers to be remotely configured via a secure connection.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the additional services include a health monitoring service that enables a health of the plurality of integrated services routers to be remotely monitored.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the additional services include an email seconding service that provides a backup email destination when an email server within an integrated services router becomes unavailable.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the additional services include a domain name registration service.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the additional services include a management service that enables the plurality of integrated services routers to be remotely configured via a secure connection.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the integrated services routers is configured to implement a shared workspace that defines a call flow for processing incoming calls, said call flow specifying multiple successive destinations for routing an incoming call when the call is unanswered.