Patent ID: 7836126
Filing Date: 2010-11-16
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A system for managing collaboration with one or more persons, the system comprising: a server that receives from a plurality of information sources a present state of each of a plurality of different communication channels that are associated with a person of the one or more persons, the plurality of information sources comprising an electronic mail calendar, an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, a workforce management system (WMS), a project management system (PMS), and a travel management system (TMS), the plurality of different communication channels comprising electronic mail, video conferencing, short message service, instant messaging, and a virtual project room, the server hosting the present state of each of the plurality of different communication channels and forming a presence source for each different communication channel; an integrator that receives and integrates a selected one or more of the presence sources from the server to form a presence provider for the person; and an aggregator that generates aggregate presence information for each person from two or more of the presence sources, the aggregate presence information comprising a status of two or more of the plurality of different communication channels via which the person can be contacted; and a selection engine that selects, based on data associated with the presence provider, at least one of the plurality of communication channels for communicating to the person, the presence provider resolving a user agent to a protocol-specific identifier for the at least one communication channel, the user agent providing a presence subscription service.