Unified Messaging Adapter for Automatic Organizational Data Provisioning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Manual provisioning of organizational data in unified messaging platforms is tedious, error-prone, and costly, especially for larger organizations, as it requires manual definitions of organizational structures and group hierarchies.

Innovation Solution

An adapter connects to a client's human resources database to retrieve and automatically generate hierarchical organizational data, creating Intermediate Logic Nodes (ILNs) and Communities of Interest (COIs) in the unified messaging platform, allowing for seamless integration with existing systems and automatic provisioning of user mailboxes based on organizational hierarchies.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual provisioning of organizational data is used in unified messaging platforms, then organizational structures and group hierarchies can be defined with flexibility, but the process becomes tedious, error-prone, and operationally expensive

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of organizational dataVSAvoidtime required for provisioning

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent copies organizational data from existing HR databases into the unified messaging platform, creating accurate replicas of organizational structures without manual re-entry. This eliminates transcription errors and ensures data accuracy while significantly reducing provisioning time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an adapter as an intermediary component that automatically transfers organizational data between the HR database and the unified messaging platform. This intermediary handles the data mapping and transformation processes, eliminating manual intervention and reducing both time and error rates

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If manual definition of organizational structures is performed, then customization and control over group hierarchies are maintained, but operational costs increase significantly for larger organizations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecustomization of organizational structureVSAvoidoperational cost of provisioning

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service provisioning by automatically generating organizational structures in the unified messaging platform using data from existing HR databases. The adapter autonomously performs data extraction, transformation, and loading operations without requiring manual intervention, thereby reducing operational costs while maintaining organizational flexibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The adapter serves multiple functions: it extracts organizational data from HR databases, transforms the data into the required format, loads it into the unified messaging platform, and maintains synchronization. This multi-functional approach consolidates multiple manual processes into a single automated system, reducing operational costs while preserving customization capabilities

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Productivity

If automatic generation of organizational data from HR databases is implemented, then provisioning time is reduced and errors are eliminated, but system complexity increases due to integration requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespeed of organizational data provisioningVSAvoidsystem integration complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The adapter acts as an intermediary that manages the complexity of integrating the unified messaging platform with various HR databases. It provides a standardized interface that handles different database formats and structures, thereby simplifying the integration process while enabling rapid automatic provisioning of organizational data

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS8478795B2Method and system for automatically defining organizational data in unified messaging systems

Publication Date: 2013.07.02 AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I L P

AI summary

A method and system for automatically defining and provisioning organizational data in a unified messaging (UM) platform are disclosed. An adapter in a unified messaging platform connects to at least one client human resources database. Human resources information that is organized in an organizational hierarchy is retrieved from the human resources database, and hierarchical organizational data is automatically generated in the UM platform based on the organizational hierarchy of the human resources information retrieved from the human resources database. UM mailboxes are provisioned to messaging centers in the UM platform based on the hierarchical organizational data.