Patent ID: 8818993
Filing Date: 2014-08-26
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method executed at least in part by a computing device for consolidating project information, the method comprising: receiving a request for aggregated information; searching a project server for structured project information and a collaboration server for unstructured project information, wherein the structured project information includes attributes defined by project requirements to meet standards for at least one from a set of: data integration, reporting, and consistency and is stored in a project database in Extensible Markup Language (XML) documents, and wherein the collaboration server hosts a collaboration service enabling users to exchange emails, messages, documents, and maintain lists and tasks and stores the unstructured project information in a data store including a file, a memory, and a database; processing one of the documents hosted by the collaboration server to determine the unstructured project information including at least one from a set of: at least one available team member and at least one schedule associated with the at least one available team member throughout a project duration; determining related structured and unstructured project information from the collaboration server based on matching one or more attribute types of the unstructured project information to one or more attribute types of the structured project information at an information aggregator module, wherein the structured project information includes a task list with attributes including a name, a duration and a start date for each task, and the unstructured project information includes an email indicating in one of a heading and body a name, a duration, and a start date of a new task; retrieving the structured and unstructured project information from the collaboration server and the project server employing authentication and encryption methods utilized by the project server and the collaboration server for granting selective access to the structured and unstructured project information; aggregating the structured and unstructured project information at an information aggregator module by adding the name, the duration, and the start date of the new task from one of the heading and the body of the email to the task list; formatting the aggregated information in accordance with one or more formatting instructions associated with a user's viewing preferences by grouping the task list based on project participants and limiting based on a date range defined by the request, wherein the formatting instructions are included in the request; and transmitting the formatted aggregate information.