Service delivery system, service delivery method, and program

Abstract

To provide a service provision system, a service provision method and a program that prevent overlap creation of tenants.SOLUTION: In a service provision system 10, a tenant information storage unit 30 stores tenant information in which information managing a contract in a unit of a tenant being a company or an organization is registered. A contract management unit 24 determines that there is a similar tenant when there are a predetermined number or more items which match data included in the tenant information managed by the tenant information storage unit 30, of new registration data, from the tenant information storage unit 30, at creation time of tenant information of a new tenant.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a service providing system, a service providing method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] There is a tenant as a unit of an organization, and when providing a service, different contracts can be made in units of tenants. By linking the tenant who has contracted for the service to a device such as a multifunction machine, the service can be used with the device. There is an administrative relationship between tenants. An administrator belonging to Tenant A creates Tenant X. At this time, it is assumed that Tenant X is a tenant subject to the management of Tenant A. In this case, since the administrator of Tenant B has no administrative relationship with Tenant X, the administrator of Tenant B cannot view the information of Tenant X.

[0003] At the time of contract, the salesperson asks the customer to fill out a contract request form, and the salesperson makes the contract according to the content. If the customer already has a tenant, the contract is added to the existing tenant, and if the customer does not have a tenant, a new tenant is created and the contract is added. Therefore, the contract request form received from the customer has an item for entering the ID of the tenant that the customer is already using, but the customer may leave the field blank for reasons such as not noticing that they already have a tenant, not knowing the ID, or not understanding the meaning of the item. If the salesperson registers duplicates without noticing this, a tenant similar to the existing tenant will be created in the database twice, and when the customer uses the MFP (Multifunction Peripheral), they will log in to a tenant without a contract and will not be able to use it.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration that detects similar tenants from the domain of an email address and stops creating a new tenant if a similar tenant is found, in order to prevent duplicate tenant creation in the database. The technology described in Patent Document 1 detects similar tenants and prevents duplicate tenant creation. However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 has the problem that sales representatives have no way of knowing which tenants are duplicates and do not know how to deal with the situation. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] This invention has been made in view of the above, and aims to prevent the creation of duplicate tenants. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the service provision system according to the present invention includes a tenant information storage unit that stores tenant information in which information for managing contracts at the tenant level, which is a company or organization, is registered, and a contract management unit that, when creating tenant information for a new tenant, detects from the tenant information storage unit the existence of similar tenants that hold information similar to the new tenant. The contract management unit distinguishes between tenant information that can be viewed by the operator and tenant information that cannot be viewed, masks the information that is determined to be inaccessible, and, when the information is determined to be similar to the tenant's information and is to be masked, The information of the aforementioned tenant is deemed not to be similar and is to be masked. The information will be displayed in a different format than the original. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the effect of preventing the creation of duplicate tenants is achieved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows a service provision system and PC terminal according to an embodiment of this system. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows the hardware configuration of the service provision system and PC terminal according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the service provision system according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a sequence diagram showing the processing flow of the service provision system according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a sequence diagram showing the processing flow of the service delivery system following Figure 4. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a sequence diagram showing the processing flow of the service delivery system following Figure 5. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an example of a customer information input screen displayed on the information processing device in S11. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows a first example of the similar tenant list confirmation screen displayed in S26-S27. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows a second example of the similar tenant list confirmation screen displayed in S26-S27. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The service provision system according to the embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0010] Figure 1 shows a service provision system 10 and a PC terminal 12 according to an embodiment of this system.

[0011] The service provision system 10 according to this embodiment is connected to one or more PC terminals 12 via a network 14. The service provision system 10 is implemented by a computer. The service provision system 10 provides various services to the PC terminals 12 via the network 14.

[0012] The PC terminal 12 is a computer such as a personal computer, smartphone, or tablet used by the user. The PC terminal 12 receives services from the service provision system 10 via the network 14.

[0013] Network 14 is the Internet or similar, and is connected to the service provision system 10 and one or more PC terminals 12. Network 14 enables communication between the service provision system 10 and each of the one or more PC terminals 12.

[0014] Figure 2 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the service provision system 10 and PC terminal 12 according to the embodiment.

[0015] The service provision system 10 is comprised of a computer, for example, as shown in Figure 2. The service provision system 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 501, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 502, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 503, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 504, an input device 505, a display device 506, an external I / F 507, and a communication I / F 508. The service provision system 10 is also connected to an external storage medium 509.

[0016] The CPU 501 is a computing unit that implements the overall control and functions of the service provision system 10. The CPU 501 reads programs and data from ROM 504, HDD 502, etc., into RAM and executes processing.

[0017] The HDD 502 is a non-volatile storage device. The HDD 502 stores programs and data (such as an OS (Operating System), applications, etc.). The RAM 503 is a volatile semiconductor memory. The RAM 503 temporarily stores programs and data. The ROM 504 is a non-volatile semiconductor memory. The ROM 504 stores programs and data (such as a BIOS (Basic Input / Output System), OS settings, network settings, etc.).

[0018] The input device 505 is a keyboard, a mouse, etc. The input device 505 can be a touch panel, etc. It receives inputs from users. The display device 506 is a display, etc. The display device 506 displays the processing results. The external I / F 507 is an interface for connecting to external devices (such as recording media). The communication I / F 508 is an interface for connecting to the network 14. The external storage medium 509 is a flexible disk, a CD (registered trademark), a DVD (registered trademark), an SD (registered trademark) memory card, a USB (registered trademark) memory, etc.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the service providing system 10 according to the embodiment. The service providing system 10 is realized by the processing that the programs installed in the system cause the CPU 501 to execute.

[0020] The service providing system 10 is connected via the network 14 to an information processing device 20 operated by a salesperson or the like.

[0021] The service providing system 1 includes a Web service processing unit 22, a contract management unit 24, an authentication management unit 26, a user information storage unit 28, a tenant information storage unit 30, and an authentication information storage unit 32.

[0022] The Web service processing unit 22 is downloaded in a form such as javascript (registered trademark) and CSS by the browser 42 of the information processing device 20 and executed by the CPU of the information processing device 20.

[0023] The contract management unit 24 receives new customer registrations from the web service processing unit 22. The contract management unit 24 includes a similar tenant processing unit 44. When the contract management unit 24 receives a new customer registration from the web service processing unit 22, it executes the similar tenant processing unit 44 to create a list of similar tenants and mask them. The contract management unit 24 decides whether or not to create a list of similar tenants based on a request from the web service processing unit 22.

[0024] The Similar Tenant Processing Unit 44 sends a similar tenant search request to the Authentication Management Unit 26 and creates a list of similar tenants. Subsequently, the Similar Tenant Processing Unit 44 performs a masking process on the tenant information. The masking process determines whether or not to mask based on the logged-in user. The Similar Tenant Processing Unit 44 does not perform the masking process if the logged-in user is an administrator of the similar tenant or if the similar tenant is a tenant managed by the logged-in user.

[0025] The authentication management unit 26 retrieves and updates tenant information and user information stored in the user information storage unit 28 and the tenant information storage unit 30. The authentication management unit 26 also stores authentication information in the authentication information storage unit 32 and manages user logins and access restrictions.

[0026] The user information storage unit 28 stores user information. For example, user information indicating that user1 belongs to tenant1 is represented as follows: User ID: user1 Password: password Tenant ID: tenant1 Username: Rikotaro

[0027] The tenant information storage unit 30 stores tenant information, which contains information for managing contracts on a per-tenant basis, such as companies or organizations. Tenants have management relationships with each other, and the tenant information includes the tenant ID of the person managing the tenant. In addition, the tenant information also includes information about the customer's address, company name, and the sales representative who handled the contract. Contract information such as the dealer name and sales representative name may be managed by the contract management unit 24 instead of the authentication management unit 26.

[0028] For example, tenant information indicating that tenant1 is managing tenant2 can be represented as follows: Tenant ID: tenant2 Tenant name: Test Tenant Administrative tenant ID: tenant1 Customer representative ID:customer1 Customer representative email address: customer@example.com Address: Tokyo… Company name: company1 pole:pole Country Store name: dealer Sales Representative ID: sales1 Sales representative's email address: sales@example.com

[0029] The authentication information storage unit 32 stores authentication information such as the user's access token.

[0030] The Web service processing unit 22 displays a site in the browser 42 of the information processing device 20 where new customers can register and check contract information. The Web service processing unit 22 includes an application execution unit 46 and an image composition unit 48.

[0031] The application execution unit 46 configures the application and executes it. The application execution unit 46 accepts user input, requests login from the authentication management unit 26, and requests new customer and tenant registration from the contract management unit 24. The application execution unit 46 determines whether to search for similar tenants when creating a tenant based on the parameters of the request.

[0032] The image composing unit 48 performs the display of the application screen. The image composing unit 48 presents the user with the necessary parameters and accepts input. The image composing unit 48 also displays similar tenants.

[0033] Figures 4, 5, and 6 are sequence diagrams showing the processing flow of the service provision system 10 according to the embodiment. The service provision system 10 executes processing according to the flow shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6.

[0034] First, the sales representative receives a contract request from the customer (S1). Next, the sales representative accesses the Web service processing unit 22 using the information processing device 20 (S2). Then, the information processing device 20 sends a site display request to the Web service processing unit 22 (S3). Next, the Web service processing unit 22 displays a login screen on the information processing device 20 and requests login (S4).

[0035] The sales representative enters their user ID and password using the information processing device 20 (S5). Next, the information processing device 20 instructs the Web service processing unit 22 to execute the login process (S6). Next, the Web service processing unit 22 requests login from the authentication management unit 26 (S7). When the Web service processing unit 22 receives confirmation from the authentication management unit 26 that the login was successful (S8), it instructs the information processing device 20 to display the site (S9). Next, the information processing device 20 instructs the Web service processing unit 22 to display the customer information input screen (S10). When the Web service processing unit 22 receives the request to display the customer information input screen, it instructs the information processing device 20 to display the customer information input screen (S11).

[0036] The sales representative enters the customer's information on the customer information input screen displayed by the Web service processing unit 22 and presses the OK button (S12). Subsequently, the information processing unit 20 requests the Web service processing unit 22 to create a tenant (S13).

[0037] Figure 5 is a sequence diagram showing the processing flow of the service provision system 10, following Figure 4.

[0038] When the Web service processing unit 22 receives a tenant creation request, it sends the tenant creation request to the contract management unit 24 (S14). Upon receiving the tenant creation request from the Web service processing unit 22, the contract management unit 24 evaluates whether there are any similar tenants in the tenant information storage unit 30 before the tenant information is registered. Based on the entered customer information, the contract management unit 24 queries the authentication management unit 26 for matching tenants among the customer's email address, customer representative, address, and company name (S15), and receives a list of similar tenants from the authentication management unit 26 (S16). The contract management unit 24 then determines that tenants with a number of matches or more than a specified number in the list of similar tenants are similar tenants.

[0039] The contract management department 24 performs different processing depending on whether there are no similar tenants or whether there are similar tenants.

[0040] If no similar tenant exists, the contract management unit 24 requests the authentication management unit 26 to create a new tenant (S17). The authentication management unit 26 creates a new tenant in the tenant information storage unit 30 in response to the request (S18) and notifies the contract management unit 24 of the completion of the new tenant creation (S19). After the new tenant creation is complete, the contract management unit 24 requests the web service processing unit 22 to display a message indicating the completion of tenant creation (S20). The web service processing unit 22 then causes the information processing unit 20 to display the completion message (S21). The sales representative checks the display on the information processing unit 20 (S22) and informs the customer that the contract has been completed (S23).

[0041] If similar tenants exist, the contract management unit 24 lists the similar tenants and their sales representatives. In this case, the contract management unit 24 checks whether the logged-in user has permission to view similar tenants based on the representative information and tenant management relationships (S24). Sales representatives are not allowed to view tenant information other than that of customers they actually handled, or tenant information outside the management scope of the logged-in user. Therefore, if the logged-in user does not have permission to view similar tenants, when displaying similar tenants, the contract management unit 24 narrows down the tenant information that can be displayed according to the logged-in sales representative and masks the information that cannot be displayed when listing them (S25).

[0042] After the creation of the list is complete, the contract management unit 24 requests the web service processing unit 22 to display the list of similar tenants and sales representatives (S26). The web service processing unit 22 then causes the information processing unit 20 to display the list of similar tenants and sales representatives (S27).

[0043] Figure 6 is a sequence diagram showing the processing flow of the service provision system 10 following Figure 5.

[0044] The sales representative checks whether a tenant matching the customer information being created exists among the tenants in the list. If a tenant for what appears to be the same customer exists, the sales representative presses the cancel button (S28). When the cancel button is pressed, the information processing unit 20 notifies the web service processing unit 22 that the cancel button has been pressed (S29). When the cancel button is pressed, the web service processing unit 22 terminates the process without creating the tenant (S30) and displays on the information processing unit 20 that the process has been terminated. The sales representative checks the display on the information processing unit 20 (S31) and informs the customer that an existing tenant exists (S32).

[0045] If no identical tenant exists, the sales representative presses the "Create Tenant" button (S28). When the "Create Tenant" button is pressed, the information processing device 20 notifies the Web service processing device 22 that the "Create Tenant" button has been pressed (S29). When the "Create Tenant" button is pressed, the Web service processing device 22 sends a tenant creation request to the contract management unit 24 without performing a search for similar tenants (S33).

[0046] When the contract management unit 24 receives a tenant creation request from the web service processing unit 22 that does not require a search for similar tenants, it requests the authentication management unit 26 to create a new tenant (S34). In response to the request to create a new tenant, the contract management unit 24 creates a new tenant in the tenant information storage unit 30 (S35) and notifies the contract management unit 24 of the completion of the new tenant creation (S36). After the new tenant creation is complete, the contract management unit 24 requests the web service processing unit 22 to display a message indicating the completion of tenant creation (S37). The web service processing unit 22 then causes the information processing unit 20 to display the completion message (S38). The sales representative confirms the display on the information processing unit 20 (S39) and informs the customer that the contract has been completed (S40).

[0047] Figure 7 shows an example of a customer information input screen 101 displayed on the information processing device 20 in S11.

[0048] The customer information input screen 101 is where the sales representative enters customer information when creating a tenant. After entering the information, the sales representative presses the OK button once they have confirmed that there are no errors. When the OK button is pressed, the information processing device 20 requests the Web service processing device 22 to create the tenant.

[0049] Figure 8 shows the first example of the similar tenant list confirmation screen 111 displayed in S26-S27. Figure 8 shows a case where the scope of tenant information disclosure is narrowed down by the person in charge.

[0050] As an example, let's assume there is a tenant (Tenant 1) that is determined to be similar to the tenant to be created and has the same sales representative, and a tenant (Tenant 2) that is similarly determined to be similar but has a different sales representative. Let's also assume that Rikotaro is logged in and performing the operation. If such similar tenants exist, the contract management unit 24 lists the similar tenants and their sales representatives. Then, the web service processing unit 22 displays the list. In the case of a tenant with no representative, or if the sales representative of a similar tenant is the tenant creator, all tenant information is considered to be viewable (Tenant 1).

[0051] If the sales representative is different from the tenant creator, the tenant information is masked, and only the information that is deemed similar but does not correspond to customer information, and the representative information are displayed (Tenant 2). For example, if the customer's email address is deemed similar among the customer information, it is masked using a different display format, such as red text. The similar tenant list is sorted and listed in descending order of the number of similar items. The sorted list is arranged from left to right in descending order. Figure 8 shows the case where Tenant 1 has more similar items than Tenant 2. When the Create Tenant button is pressed, the Information Processing Device 20 requests the Contract Management Unit 24 to create a tenant without searching for similar tenants. When Cancel is pressed, the Information Processing Device 20 does not create a tenant and ends the display of similar tenants.

[0052] Figure 9 shows the second example of the similar tenant list confirmation screen 121 displayed in S26-S27. Figure 9 shows a case where the scope of tenant information disclosure is narrowed down by management relationship.

[0053] A management relationship exists between tenants. When a user in tenant X creates tenant Y, the created tenant Y becomes a managed tenant of tenant X. Users within a tenant can access the information of managed tenants.

[0054] As an example in Figure 9, consider the case where Riko Taro, who belongs to tenant A, logs in and performs an operation. Assume that tenants 1 and 2 exist as tenants similar to the tenant to be created. The tenant to be created is a managed tenant of tenant A, to which Riko Taro belongs. Assume that tenant 1 is within the managed area of ​​tenant A, and tenant 2 is not.

[0055] If similar tenant information is within the management scope of the logged-in user, that tenant information is considered viewable (Tenant 1). Tenant information outside the management scope of the logged-in user is masked, and only information that does not involve customer information and contact person information, among the information deemed similar, is displayed (Tenant 2). For example, if customer email addresses are deemed similar among the customer information, they are masked using a different display format, such as red text. The similar tenant list is sorted and listed in descending order of the number of similar items. The sorted list is arranged from left to right in descending order. Figure 9 shows a case where Tenant 1 has more similar items than Tenant 2. In addition, the contract management department 24 can set permissions for each sales representative to manage tenant billing information and contract information. In the example in Figure 9, the information of Tenant 2, which is outside the management scope, is masked, but by granting management privileges for Tenant 2 to Riko Taro, it becomes possible to view the complete information of Tenant 2. Pressing Create Tenant requests the contract management department 24 to create a tenant without searching for similar tenants. Pressing Cancel does not create a tenant and ends the display of similar tenants.

[0056] In the service provision system 10 according to the above embodiment, when a new tenant is created, the system detects the existence of a tenant in the database that holds similar information. As a result, the service provision system 10 allows sales representatives to know which tenants are duplicates and prevents the creation of duplicate tenants.

[0057] Furthermore, the service provision system 10 determines that a similar tenant exists if the number of items in the newly registered data that match data contained in the tenant information managed in the tenant information storage unit 30 exceeds a specified number. This allows the service provision system 10 to easily search for similar data before registering the data.

[0058] Furthermore, the service delivery system 10 displays similar tenants and issues a warning before tenant creation, potentially interrupting the tenant creation process. This allows the sales representative to confirm and decide whether or not to create a tenant, according to the service delivery system 10.

[0059] Furthermore, the service provision system 10 registers the sales representative in the tenant information. This allows the service provision system 10 to contact the sales representative who opened the tenant space, enabling the sales representative to respond quickly.

[0060] Furthermore, the service provision system 10 distinguishes between tenant information that the operator can view and tenant information that cannot be viewed, and masks the information that is deemed inaccessible. Thus, according to the service provision system 10, information that is inaccessible to the sales representative is masked, ensuring confidentiality while displaying tenants similar to the one being created.

[0061] Furthermore, when displaying similar tenants, the service provision system 10 determines that tenants with more similar items have a higher degree of similarity, and sorts the tenant list in descending order of similarity. As a result, according to the service provision system 10, sales representatives can more easily find tenants with a high degree of similarity within the tenant list.

[0062] Furthermore, the service delivery system 10 allows the user to choose to restart tenant creation from the interruption notification. This means that, according to the service delivery system 10, after the sales representative makes a decision, they can immediately resume tenant creation without having to go through the same procedure again.

[0063] Furthermore, the service provision system 10 notifies the tenant creator of the detailed results once the tenant creation is complete. This allows the service provision system 10 to easily verify the results upon notification of tenant creation.

[0064] Furthermore, the program executed by the service provision system 10 according to this embodiment is provided as a file in an installable or executable format, recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, flexible disk (FD), CD-R, or DVD (Digital Versatile Disk).

[0065] Furthermore, the program executed by the service provision system 10 according to this embodiment may be stored on a computer connected to a network 14 such as the Internet and provided by downloading it via the network 14. Alternatively, the program executed by the service provision system 10 according to this embodiment may be provided or distributed via a network 14 such as the Internet.

[0066] Furthermore, the program to be executed by the service provision system 10 according to this embodiment may be pre-installed in ROM or the like and provided in that manner.

[0067] The program executed by the service provision system 10 according to this embodiment has a modular configuration that includes the above-mentioned parts (Web service processing unit 22, contract management unit 24, and authentication management unit 26). In terms of actual hardware, the CPU (processor) reads the program from the storage medium and executes it, loading the above-mentioned parts onto the main memory, and the Web service processing unit 22, contract management unit 24, and authentication management unit 26 are generated on the main memory. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 10. Service Delivery System 20 Information Processing Devices 22 Web Services Processing Unit 24 Contract Management Department 26 Authentication Management Department 28 User Information Storage Unit 30 Tenant Information Storage Unit 32 Authentication Information Storage Unit [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0069] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-112893

Claims

1. A tenant information storage unit that stores tenant information, which is registered information for managing contracts on a company or organization basis, When creating tenant information for a new tenant, the contract management unit detects the existence of similar tenants that hold information similar to that of the new tenant from the tenant information storage unit, It has, The aforementioned contract management department, The operator determines which tenant information can be viewed and which cannot, and masks the information that is determined to be inaccessible. Information deemed similar to the aforementioned tenant information and to be masked will be displayed in a different format than information deemed not similar to the aforementioned tenant information and to be masked. Service delivery system.

2. The contract management unit determines that a similar tenant exists if the number of items in the newly registered data that match the data contained in the tenant information managed in the tenant information storage unit exceeds a specified number. The service provision system according to claim 1.

3. The Contract Management Department determines a tenant to be a similar tenant if, among the tenants whose data included in the tenant information matches the information of the new tenant to be registered, a specified number of matching items match. The service provision system according to claim 2.

4. The Contract Management Department displays and warns the new tenant by showing similar tenants before creating the tenant information for the new tenant, and interrupts the tenant creation process. The service provision system according to claim 1.

5. The aforementioned contract management department registers the sales representative in the tenant information. The service provision system according to claim 1.

6. The Contract Management Department shall mask the tenant information if the sales representative registered in the tenant information is different from the operator. The service provision system according to claim 5.

7. The Contract Management Department shall mask the tenant information if the tenant information is not information created by a user of the tenant to which the operator belongs. The service provision system according to claim 1.

8. The aforementioned contract management department, when displaying similar tenants, determines that the more similar items there are, the higher the similarity score, and then sorts the tenant list in descending order of similarity before displaying it. The service provision system according to claim 1.

9. The aforementioned contract management department may choose to restart the creation of the tenant information for the new tenant based on the suspension notice. The service provision system according to claim 1.

10. The Contract Management Department shall notify the new tenant of the details of the results once the creation of the tenant information for the new tenant is complete. The service provision system according to claim 1.

11. A method for providing services performed by an information processing device, The aforementioned information processing device has a tenant information storage unit that stores tenant information in which information for managing contracts at the tenant level, which is a company or organization, is registered. The aforementioned information processing device When creating the tenant information for a new tenant, the tenant information storage unit detects the existence of similar tenants that hold information similar to that of the new tenant. The operator determines which tenant information can be viewed and which cannot, and masks the information that is determined to be inaccessible. Information deemed similar to the aforementioned tenant information and to be masked will be displayed in a different format than information deemed not similar to the aforementioned tenant information and to be masked. Method of providing services.

12. A program for making an information processing device function as a service provision system, The aforementioned information processing device stores tenant information in its tenant information storage unit, which contains information that manages contracts on a per-tenant basis, such as a company or organization. The information processing device, when creating tenant information for a new tenant, detects the existence of similar tenants that hold information similar to the new tenant from the tenant information storage unit, and the contract management unit To make it function as, The aforementioned contract management department, The operator determines which tenant information can be viewed and which cannot, and masks the information that is determined to be inaccessible. Information deemed similar to the aforementioned tenant information and to be masked will be displayed in a different format than information deemed not similar to the aforementioned tenant information and to be masked. program.

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