Enterprise managed systems with collaborative application support

• US 9,424,554 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2013
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): MADAMBA, GLENFORD J
• Application Number:
  US13/888,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20130297700A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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. A computing device comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory for storing computer executable instructions, wherein execution of the executable instructions by the at least one processor causes the computing device to perform;

determining, by the at least one processor, information identifying one or more types of user roles within an enterprise;

providing, by the at least one processor, at least one social networking feature via an enterprise social platform to one or more user groups, wherein each user group is associated with one of the identified types of user roles within the enterprise and comprises one or more enterprise users, wherein the at least one social networking feature is associated with an enterprise application store;

generating, by the at least one processor, a catalog of enterprise applications that are available for selection by the one or more enterprise users;

receiving, by the at least one processor from at least one client device from at least one member of the one or more user groups via the at least one social networking feature, application evaluation information evaluating one or more enterprise applications available for selection via the enterprise application store;

determining, by the at least one processor and based on the application evaluation information, a set of one or more recommended enterprise applications for each of the types of user roles within the enterprise, wherein each of the one or more recommended enterprise applications is associated with at least one sponsor service based on the corresponding type of user role within the enterprise;

providing, by the at least one processor, a first one of the sets of one or more recommended enterprise applications that is associated with a first type of user role within the enterprise to a first enterprise user associated with the first type of user role within the enterprise and a second one of the sets of one or more recommended enterprise applications that is associated with a second type of user role within the enterprise to a second enterprise user associated with the second type of user role within the enterprise, wherein the first set and the second set comprise a common recommended enterprise application;

responsive to a selection, by the first enterprise user, of the common recommended enterprise application from the first set of one or more recommended enterprise applications, providing a first sponsor service associated with the common recommended enterprise application for the first type of user role within the enterprise; and

responsive to a selection, by the second enterprise user, of the common recommended enterprise application from the second set of one or more recommended enterprise applications, providing a second sponsor service associated with the common recommended enterprise application for the second type of user role within the enterprise, wherein the first sponsor service is not provided, and wherein the second sponsor service is different from the first sponsor service.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the at least one social networking feature comprises one or more of the following:

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, a file handling feature, a rating feature, a recommendation feature, a help feature, an approval request feature, a how-to feature, and an evaluation feature.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the types of user roles within the enterprise are identified based on one or more of the following:

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.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein execution of the executable instructions by the at least one processor further causes the computing device to perform providing a customized list of available enterprise applications to a user based on an associated type of user role within the enterprise.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the enterprise application store is a publicly accessible application store.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the enterprise application store includes a private enterprise store with downloadable applications.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein execution of the executable instructions by the at least one processor further causes the computing device to perform providing a customized user interface for user interaction in an application support forum.

8. The computing device of claim 1, wherein execution of the executable instructions by the at least one processor further causes the computing device to perform determining whether user authorization for accessing an application is required based on an associated type of user role within the enterprise.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein execution of the executable instructions by the at least one processor further causes the computing device to perform initiating an on-line approval process if a recommended enterprise application is not pre-approved for a user.

10. The computing device of claim 1, wherein execution of the executable instructions by the at least one processor further causes the computing device to perform:

associating one or more of the enterprise applications with a corresponding sponsor service and a corresponding sponsor, wherein the corresponding sponsor service is a recommendation service, an application help service, or an application approval service, wherein the corresponding sponsor is a group based on the identified type of user role, and wherein the at least one processor provides the user associated with the first type of user role within the enterprise with at least one sponsor based on an enterprise application selected by the user associated with the first type of user role within the enterprise.

11. The computing device of claim 1, further wherein execution of the executable instructions by the at least one processor further causes the computing device to perform providing an application wrapper for at least one of the enterprise applications, the application wrapper being configured to secure execution of the enterprise application on a mobile device of an enterprise user.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein security of the application wrapper is based on the type of user role within the enterprise associated with the user of the mobile device in the enterprise.

13. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the enterprise application store is accessible by a secure, single sign-on facility that includes security based on the type of user role within the enterprise associated with a user.

21. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the identified types of user roles comprise enterprise project team members, enterprise recruiting team members, or enterprise event planning team members.

22. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the types of user roles are identified based on a degree of user activity associated with an enterprise group or an enterprise project.

23. The computing device of claim 1,

wherein the first set of one or more recommended enterprise applications associated with the first type of user role within the enterprise and the second set of one or more recommended enterprise applications associated with the second type of user role within the enterprise each comprise at least one differing recommended enterprise application.

26. The computing device of claim 1, wherein execution of the executable instructions by the at least one processor further causes the computing device to perform:

receiving feedback associated with the first sponsor service or feedback associated with the second sponsor service;

modifying the set of the one or more recommended applications for the first type of user role or the set of the one or more recommended applications for the second type of user role based on the corresponding feedback, wherein the corresponding modified set comprises a different combination of recommended applications than the corresponding unmodified set; and

providing one or more of the modified sets.

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

determining, by the at least one processor, information identifying one or more types of user roles within an enterprise;

providing, by the at least one processor, at least one social networking feature via an enterprise social platform to one or more user groups, wherein each user group is associated with one of the identified types of user roles within the enterprise and comprises one or more enterprise users, wherein the at least one social networking feature is associated with an enterprise application store;

generating, by the at least one processor, a catalog of enterprise applications that are available for selection by the one or more enterprise users;

receiving, by the at least one processor from at least one client device from at least one member of the one or more user groups via the at least one social networking feature, application evaluation information evaluating one or more enterprise applications available for selection via the enterprise application store;

determining, by the at least one processor and based on the application evaluation information, a set of one or more recommended enterprise applications for each of the types of user roles within the enterprise, wherein each of the one or more recommended enterprise applications is associated with at least one sponsor service based on the corresponding type of user role within the enterprise;

providing, by the at least one processor, a first one of the sets of one or more recommended enterprise applications that is associated with a first type of user role within the enterprise to a first enterprise user associated with the first type of user role within the enterprise and a second one of the sets of one or more recommended enterprise applications that is associated with a second type of user role within the enterprise to a second enterprise user associated with the second type of user role within the enterprise, wherein the first set and the second set comprise a common recommended enterprise application;

responsive to a selection, by the first enterprise user, of the common recommended enterprise application from the first set of one or more recommended enterprise applications, providing a first sponsor service associated with the common recommended enterprise application for the first type of user role within the enterprise; and

responsive to a selection, by the second enterprise user, of the common recommended enterprise application from the second set of one or more recommended enterprise applications, providing a second sponsor service associated with the common recommended enterprise application for the second type of user role within the enterprise, wherein the first sponsor service is not provided, and wherein the second sponsor service is different from the first sponsor service.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing a customized list of available enterprise applications to a user based on an associated type of user role within the enterprise.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing a customized user interface for user interaction in an application support forum.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining whether user authorization for accessing an application is required based on an associated type of user role within the enterprise associated with a user.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising initiating an approval process if an application is not pre-approved for a user.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising downloading an enterprise application from the enterprise application store.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising providing an application wrapper for the downloaded enterprise application, the application wrapper being configured to secure execution of the enterprise application on a mobile device of an enterprise user.

24. The method of claim 14,

wherein the first set of one or more recommended enterprise applications associated with the first type of user role within the enterprise and the second set of one or more recommended enterprise applications associated with the second type of user role within the enterprise each comprise at least one differing recommended enterprise application.

27. The method claim 14, further comprising:

receiving feedback associated with the first sponsor service or feedback associated with the second sponsor service;

modifying the set of the one or more recommended applications for the first type of user role or the set of the one or more recommended applications for the second type of user role based on the corresponding feedback, wherein the corresponding modified set comprises a different combination of recommended applications than the corresponding unmodified set; and

providing one or more of the modified sets.

25. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, that when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform:

determining, by the at least one processor, information identifying one or more types of user roles within an enterprise;

providing, by the at least one processor, at least one social networking feature via an enterprise social platform to one or more user groups, wherein each user group is associated with one of the identified types of user roles within the enterprise and comprises one or more enterprise users, wherein the at least one social networking feature is associated with an enterprise application store;

generating, by the at least one processor, a catalog of enterprise applications that are available for selection by the one or more enterprise users;

receiving, by the at least one processor from at least one client device from at least one member of the one or more user groups via the at least one social networking feature, application evaluation information evaluating one or more enterprise applications available for selection via the enterprise application store;

determining, by the at least one processor and based on the application evaluation information, a set of one or more recommended enterprise applications for each of the types of user roles within the enterprise, wherein each of the one or more recommended enterprise applications is associated with at least one sponsor service based on the corresponding type of user role within the enterprise;

providing, by the at least one processor, a first one of the sets of one or more recommended enterprise applications that is associated with a first type of user role within the enterprise to a first enterprise user associated with the first type of user role within the enterprise and a second one of the sets of one or more recommended enterprise applications that is associated with a second type of user role within the enterprise to a second enterprise user associated with the second type of user role within the enterprise, wherein the first set and the second set comprise a common recommended enterprise application;

responsive to a selection, by the first enterprise user, of the common recommended enterprise application from the first set of one or more recommended enterprise applications, providing a first sponsor service associated with the common recommended enterprise application for the first type of user role within the enterprise; and

responsive to a selection, by the second enterprise user, of the common recommended enterprise application from the second set of one or more recommended enterprise applications, providing a second sponsor service associated with the common recommended enterprise application for the second type of user role within the enterprise, wherein the first sponsor service is not provided, and wherein the second sponsor service is different from the first sponsor service.