Systems and methods for providing voice/data communication systems and voice/data communications
View Patent ↗Web/portal-based systems and methods for selling, configuring, installing, reconfiguring and servicing such integrated voice/data communications systems are disclosed. An Internet/web or personal digital assistant (“PDA”) or personal computer (“PC”) based portal is provided to enable a relatively high level of data to be more easily collected. The portal preferably is graphical and guides either the customer or one or more sales persons (or site installer/technician, etc.) in the collection of user requirements data indicative of the particular customer's hardware, telephony and network service requirements. The user requirements data is a less technical, more intuitive level of user requirements data, as compared with configuration data. An initial test of the data preferably is performed, such as for purposes of data consistency, ensuring that all required data has been entered and the like. Thereafter, the user requirements data is translated into configuration data, preferably by way of automatic (or semi-automatic) software tools for installation or input into the integrated voice/data communications system in order to configure the system in a manner appropriate to satisfy the user requirements data. Such portal-based user requirements data entry is coupled to, and part of, a method for selling, ordering, manufacturing, testing and installing such integrated voice/data communications systems. Configuration data resulting from a user requirements level data entry and translation process is coupled at a desirable point with a hardware manufacturing process, such that an integrated system configured for the particular customer may be produced. A centralized intelligence may be involved in the configuration and testing of such integrated systems, thereby helping to facilitate configuration and testing, and thereby helping to ensure that the installed system will work correctly and in accordance with the requirements of the particular customer. Such a centralized intelligence also may be used to facilitate equipment upgrades and the provision of WAN or other network or other services to the particular customer.
1. A method comprising the steps of:
entering via a portal user requirements data, wherein the user requirements data include information indicative of a configuration of a communications system for providing voice and data communications to a plurality of users;
translating the user requirements data into configuration data, wherein the configuration data is stored in a storage location in electronic communication with the portal;
providing the configuration data to a manufacturing agent;
manufacturing the communications system, wherein the step of manufacturing the communications system includes loading the configuration data into the communications system, wherein the communications system operates based on the configuration data; and
providing the communications system to a customer, wherein the communications system is operative to provide voice and data communications to the plurality of user in accordance with the configuration data.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of testing the user requirements data prior to the step of translating the user requirements data, wherein in response to the testing corrected or additional user requirements data are selectively prompted for entry via the portal.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portal comprises a web-based portal.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portal comprises an application running on a computing system remote from a central computing resource electronically coupled to the storage location.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user requirements data are entered via the portal via a plurality of graphical displays that prompt the entry of the user requirements data.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user requirements data include information indicative of WAN services.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein an estimated number and type of WAN services are predicted based on the user requirements data.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of translating the user requirements data into configuration data comprises processing the user requirements data with automatic or semiautomatic software tools.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuration data resulting from the translation of the user requirements data are tested prior to the step of providing the configuration data to a manufacturing agent, wherein in response to the testing corrected or additional user requirements data are selectively prompted for entry via the portal.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of electronically placing an order for the manufacture of the communications system, wherein the order comprising a legally binding commercial transaction for the communications system.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuration data are electronically transmitted from the storage location to the manufacturing agent.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of producing a physical medium including the configuration data.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the physical medium is provided with the communications system to the customer.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user requirements data includes information indicative of call routing.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the storage location stores configuration data for a plurality of communications systems.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of updating the user requirements data via the portal, wherein the communications system is updated or reconfigured.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein updated configuration data are generated based on the updated user requirements data.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the updated configuration data are electronically transmitted to the communications system.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the updated configuration data are applied to the communications system, wherein the communications system operates responsive to the updated configuration data.