Enterprise Address Book Agent for Contact Sync
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for synchronizing contact information in enterprise address books are costly and user-unfriendly, requiring specialized terminals and high-security VPN tunnels, which increase complexity and service costs.
Innovation Solution
An enterprise address book agent network element that sends updating requests to a public address book server through a private channel, allowing for synchronized contact information updates across user address books, reducing the need for multiple private channels and lowering service costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a specialized terminal and VPN tunnel are used to access the enterprise address book in a mobile environment, then security is improved, but device complexity and service cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a public address book server as an intermediary between mobile terminals and the enterprise address book. This server receives synchronization requests from terminals, retrieves data from the enterprise address book through secure channels, and delivers it to users. This mediator approach maintains security requirements while eliminating the need for terminals to directly establish complex VPN connections, thus reducing device complexity.
2Reliability
If a VPN tunnel with high-security encryption is established between the access server and specialized terminal, then security is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to increased user skill requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements automatic authentication and data synchronization mechanisms where the public address book server automatically establishes secure connections with the enterprise address book and handles data synchronization without user intervention. Users simply access their contacts through the terminal without needing to configure VPN settings or understand encryption protocols, making the system secure yet easy to operate.
3Reliability
If multiple private channels are established for each terminal to access the enterprise address book, then individual access security is improved, but service cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent consolidates multiple individual access channels into a single shared private channel between the public address book server and the enterprise address book. Multiple terminals share this one secure connection through the server, which retrieves and distributes data to authorized users. This merging approach maintains access security while significantly reducing the number of private channels needed, thereby lowering service costs.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for synchronizing contact information, comprising: receiving contact information to be updated from an enterprise address book server; and sending an updating request to a public address book server through a private channel with the public address book server, wherein the updating request comprises a pre-stored user identification and the contact information to be updated, the user identification is an identification of a user in the public address book server, and the public address book server is enabled to update the contact information to be updated in a user address book corresponding to the user identification. By utilizing the present invention, contact information synchronization may be performed between an enterprise address book server and a public address book server, which not only is convenient for use but also has low service cost.