Methods for managing a plurality of devices using protectable communication protocol, including determination of marketing feedback to assess a response to an advertisement

1. A method for managing localized devices providing voice/data services in a plurality of geographically diverse locations, comprising the steps of:

providing a console system to coordinate management activities for software on the plurality of localized devices;

providing a protectable communications protocol for communications between the console system and the plurality of localized devices;

wherein the console system communicates with an individual device of the plurality of localized devices via the protectable communications protocol to provide software configuration information to the individual device;

wherein the software configuration information provides the individual device with information sufficient to establish a direct link with a software distribution server in order to receive software data without requiting user initiation at the individual device, wherein the direct link is independent of the console system;

wherein the protectable communications protocol includes an atomic error handling capability to enable one or more transaction instructions to be conditionally executed;

wherein the individual device communicates with the console system via the protectable communications protocol;

wherein data are provided from the plurality of localized devices to the console system; and

wherein, based on the data are provided from the plurality of localized devices to the console system, marketing feedback is determined to assess a response to an advertisement.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the marketing feedback comprises call patterns.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the marketing feedback comprises a geographic region.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the atomic error handling capability enables one or more transaction instructions to be reversed upon an error in another one of the plurality of transaction instructions.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the protectable communications protocol is communicated via sockets.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of providing a graphical user interface, wherein characteristics associated with the direct link are configurable via the graphical user interface.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the direct link comprises an FTP link.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of providing a plurality of servers associated with backup, distribution, and/or reporting tasks, wherein the direct link provides a communication path between the console system and one or more of the plurality of servers.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least one server is located externally to a private network associated with the console system.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the individual device comprises a computing system.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the individual device comprises a communications system.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communications system comprises a converged communications system incorporating an interrelated architecture comprised of both a traditional voice architecture and a traditional data architecture.

13. A method for managing a plurality of localized devices in a plurality of geographically diverse locations, the method comprising the steps of:

accessing a management system via one or more administrative users to enter commands for managing the provision of control information to a predetermined group of localized devices;

communicating control information responsive to the entered commands for controlling the provision of software to the predetermined group of localized devices, wherein the control information is communicated to the predetermined group of localized devices via a protectable communications protocol;

wherein the protectable communications protocol includes an atomic en-or handling capability to enable one or more transaction instructions to be conditionally executed;

wherein the control information provides each of the predetermined group of localized devices with information sufficient to establish a link with a software distribution server in order for each of the predetermined group of localized devices to receive software without requiring initiation by users of the predetermined group of localized devices, wherein the link established to transmit the software is independent of the management system; and

wherein the individual device communicates with the console system via the protectable communications protocol, wherein marketing feedback is determined to assess a response to an advertisement.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the atomic error handling capability enables one or more transaction instructions to be reversed upon an error in one of the plurality of transaction instructions.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the protectable communications protocol is communicated via sockets.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the link comprises an FTP link.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising the step of providing a plurality of servers associated with backup, distribution, and/or reporting tasks, wherein the link provides a communication path between the management system and one or more of the plurality of servers.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein at least one server is located externally to a private network associated with the management system.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the localized devices comprise computing systems.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the localized devices comprise communications systems.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein one or more of the communications systems comprise a converged communications system incorporating an interrelated architecture comprised of both a traditional voice architecture and a traditional data architecture.

22. The method of claim 13 , wherein the marketing feedback comprises call patterns.

23. The method of claim 13 , wherein the marketing feedback comprises a geographic region.