Abstract:
A method executed at least in part in a computing device for providing cloud based customer support services includes providing a cloud based service enabling data interchange between participants of a cloud based support service, the participants including customers seeking support on products or services and support personnel from companies providing the products or services. The method further includes associating a subset of the participants with a selected product or service, enabling the customers to initiate a support case for the selected product or service, and enabling the subset of the participants associated with the product or service to communicate in order to resolve the support case.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to provisional application Ser. No. 61/701,025 filed Sep. 14, 2012, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to customer support. More particularly, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to methods, system and apparatus for providing customer support. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Providing immediate and effective service and support for customers is a difficult challenge faced by many companies. The question is how to best involve actual personnel in the process of solving critical support cases while arriving at effective case resolution rapidly. The staffing, training and time required to give the customer the kind of support that makes an actual difference when something goes wrong is cost prohibitive for many companies. Even if the expense of putting the personnel in place is not an object, the knowledge required to adequately support the customer may still be missing. The difficulty lies in the fact that the knowledge required to support a complex product, installation or project is often connected to a group of people whose first priority is not service and support. It may be the engineers, designers or scientists who developed the product that would be best-suited to solve the problem but it is very difficult to keep these people engaged or involved in a way that can be of any real help to the customer and the support team. Many times, the result is a frustrating experience for the customer and a perception that the company supporting them is not knowledgeable about their own products or service or does not place sufficient importance on customer support. 
         [0004]    In particular situations any number of additional challenges may also be present. For example, even a small capital equipment manufacturer may have equipment installed throughout the world. Moreover, some types of equipment may be vital to a customer&#39;s operations and thus a deeper relationship between customers and equipment manufacturers may be needed. For example, equipment which is installed in-line becomes a critical part of a manufacturing line and thus it is critically important that the manufacturing line remain operable. 
         [0005]    Although knowledge of a product or service is essential to good customer support, knowledge is not enough to provide customer support. There are also problems with providing constant and consistent communication and accurate case management. It can be very difficult to keep track of multiple service and support cases related to a project or product in the field. Multiple cases, if not sorted and managed properly, can be confusing and may cause miscommunication and lost productivity. This process can become especially difficult when multiple service organizations or “resolvers” working on the issue are located in different companies around the globe. 
         [0006]    In addition, there may be significant variation in complexity of customer service cases. Typical cases can range in complexity from simple questions about how to change a setting on a system to very complex maintenance issues. Adding to the difficulty is the variety of equipment in place and the different operational parameters of each individual system. 
         [0007]    Another problem with customer support relates to response time. Response time may be critical when dealing with products that run in manufacturing environments or with a project on a tight timeline. This response time can be the difference between whether or not a customer is able to hit their production numbers. A slow response or a delay in getting the right answer to a problem can be very costly to the customer. Moreover some delays may be caused by failure to immediately involve the most appropriate people early on in the process. There are related problems in escalating problems in a manner which gets the right answer from the right person. Consider, for example, the problem of a control module may be generating an error that causes a system to shut down. That error may be caused by something that very few people are able to identify. The challenge would be how to quickly engage the person with the right answer. Failure to do so can result in involving numerous people who may not be able to provide the right answer. 
         [0008]    Another problem is that sometimes the person with the right answer has a primary function which is unrelated to product support. Engineers and developers, whose primary function is unrelated to product support, often make poor support personnel. Concern for the customer is usually not the issue, it is simply that they are already involved in other initiatives and the continual interruption of managing support calls can be a significant disruption. 
         [0009]    Customer&#39;s desire for immediate support is further complicated when one considers that in the global economy support is not generally isolated to one small region. Suppliers are challenged with supporting their products in widely distributed markets that span the entire globe. However, the expectation for effective customer service from the customer is the same whether they are across the street or in another country. They want immediate response to their critical problems and resolutions that keep their program up and running This generally involves a 24/7 type of support approach due to time zone differences as well as the “around-the-clock” operation of many companies. Suppliers, no matter how small, have to be available to these clients and ready to respond properly. 
         [0010]    Where small companies have customers from around the world, being able to provide 24/7 service support for all customers can be expensive. 
         [0011]    Another problem relates to third parties. Involving a third party in a support case can be difficult. It is a labor-intensive process to bring others up to speed on all the particulars of a case. There is detail and communication that is often lost each time a new person is brought in. A third-party supplier, another customer contact or a new service group may need to be included in the case, but this process can be time-consuming and often results in miscommunication and lost information. 
         [0012]    Another problem relates to the integration of components from others. When a manufacturer includes components of others they may be assuming responsibility of supporting those components once installed in their customer base. Thus, the supplier&#39;s product may be the problem yet the manufacturer providing support is still tasked with diagnosing the problem and chasing down the supplier to assist with the solution. 
         [0013]    Additional problems relate to billing for service and support and managing the complexities of spare parts and other revenue-based activities. Many times the customer is confused about what is billable and what is not, as well as what to expect for charges on a service call. When tracking billable service a company should be able to produce documentation showing that the case was resolved and a record of the time spent on the case. This is another confusing component of the support process that can cause questions in the customer&#39;s mind. 
         [0014]    Therefore, what is needed are improved methods, systems, and apparatus which assist in facilitating customer service and customer support. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0015]    Therefore, it is a primary object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to improve over the state of the art. 
         [0016]    It is a further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to assist in facilitating customer service and customer support. 
         [0017]    Another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to share the load of supporting customer, to increase exposure to the knowledgeable people on all sides of the support case in a manner which allows costs to be reduced or revenue opportunities to be generated. 
         [0018]    It is a further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to spread out a support load amongst a plurality of different teams within an organization, such as a knowledgeable development team and knowledgeable manufacturing team. 
         [0019]    It is a still further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to distribute the support load in a manner which avoids costly interruptions to team members. 
         [0020]    A still further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to reduce and shorten the amount of time it takes to resolve a case by easily involving other resolvers and customer personnel in the case. 
         [0021]    Another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to simplify management of suppliers, customers and equipment to one primary support manager. 
         [0022]    Yet another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide the customer with an immediate and ongoing visibility into product support cases and product performance so they are always in the loop. 
         [0023]    A further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to simplify the report generating for customers, products and cases. 
         [0024]    A still further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to link support incidents directly to specific products so there is never a question about which product and customer is being serviced. 
         [0025]    Another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to manage and store the documents, data, communication and complexities of service issues with 100 percent access and visibility to the involved parties. 
         [0026]    Yet another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to allow for tracking of billable time, spare parts requirements and other revenue generating activities associated with products and support cases. 
         [0027]    A further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to give supporting team members visibility to all support cases without exception, regardless of their global location. 
         [0028]    A still further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to reduce costs associated with service and support by keeping the size of the support team small while, at the same time, increasing the number of people available to assist the customer. 
         [0029]    Another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to increase the customer&#39;s access to support help without creating additional work for the customer in accessing that help 
         [0030]    Yet another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide customers with 24/7 response to their support requests without overloading the supporting team members. 
         [0031]    A further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide a method, apparatus, and system which is seamlessly adaptable and simple for the customer to understand and utilize. 
         [0032]    Another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide a low-cost and easily implemented solution to product support which gives clients the advantage in support case resolution. 
         [0033]    Yet another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is the ability to link specific people to specific products and to sort these products and related support cases, resulting in a seamless communication link that maximizes the customers&#39; up-time and support experience. 
         [0034]    A further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide support case escalation and management. 
         [0035]    A still further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide labor savings through shared responsibilities. 
         [0036]    Another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide a repository for images, documents, specific to any supported product 
         [0037]    Yet another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide case information tracking and storage. 
         [0038]    A further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide targeted advertising capability. 
         [0039]    A still further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to assist in maximizing customer up-time. Another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide improved customer perception and relationship building. 
         [0040]    Yet another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide for automatically building a customer list and contact database. 
         [0041]    A further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide a support link in the form of a product-person link which allows for attaching and/or linking a user to a specific product for support on that product. Thereby allowing people to be linked only to the products they care about, whether they are supporting a product or receiving support on a product. 
         [0042]    A still further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide for multi-product linking thereby allowing users to be linked to multiple products thereby allowing users to be linked to all of the products they care most about receiving or giving support on and it sets the stage for Multi-Product Support. 
         [0043]    Another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide bi-modal multi-product support thereby allowing a user to support and be supported on multiple products from the same account. Thus, a user can receive support on all products pertinent to him—in one place. It also gives him the ability to support every product within his company that he is responsible for, again—in one place. These two features work together enabling a user to support multiple products and receive support on multiple products—all in one place. 
         [0044]    Yet another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide for multi-company linking thus allowing users to be linked to multiple supporting companies. In the event that a user is employed by both Company A and Company B and is supporting products for both companies, he has the ability to be linked to both Company A and B. He can toggle between the two companies and see real-time changes in his total Support Case numbers and products he supports in his Dashboard. 
         [0045]    A further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide a user to user invite onto a product with administrator permission. Thus, a user may be invited to ‘follow’ a product by a user who is already linked to that product. The request is then pending approval from a company Administrator. Once accepted by the company Admin, the invite request is pending acceptance from the invited user. The invited user can choose to ‘follow’ the product or deny the invitation. In the case that the invited user denies the invitation, he is ‘unfollowing’ the product. He cannot remove himself completely from a product, as that is up to the company Admin, he can only ‘unfollow’ the product. This feature helps ensure that the right people are linked to the right products. 
         [0046]    A further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to allow a user to follow a product. 
         [0047]    A still further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is the ability to set up different Support Case types or tracks. 
         [0048]    Another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to allow for photos, videos and documents to be uploaded to a specific Support Case or track. 
         [0049]    Yet another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to allow a user to be invited to join a Support Case or track by a user already linked to the product and involved in the Support Case. 
         [0050]    A further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention it to allow a user who is linked to a product to receive activity stream notifications on the product. 
         [0051]    Another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide for managing notifications. 
         [0052]    A still further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide visibility by allowing a user to see and communicate with everyone linked to the same product. 
         [0053]    Another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to allow a user to view all new, open, and closed Support Cases or tracks that have been created on all of his products on one page. 
         [0054]    Yet another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide companies using the system to purchase ad space targeted to their customers. 
         [0055]    A still further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide for product-centric communication between participants. 
         [0056]    The present invention contemplates these and/or other objects, features, or advantages. No single embodiment need meet or provide every object, feature, or advantage. Different embodiments may have different objects, features, or advantages. The present invention is not to be limited to these objects, features, or advantages. 
         [0057]    According to one aspect of the present invention, a method executed at least in part in a computing device for providing cloud based customer support services is provided. The method includes providing a cloud based service enabling data interchange between participants of a cloud based support service, the participants including customers seeking support on products or services and support personnel from companies providing the products or services. The method further includes associating a subset of the participants with a selected product or service, enabling the customers to initiate a support case for the selected product or service, and enabling the subset of the participants associated with the product or service to communicate in order to resolve the support case. 
         [0058]    According to another aspect of the present invention, a system for providing cloud based customer support services is provided. The system includes a cloud based server providing a cloud based service enabling data interchange between participants of a cloud based support service, the participants including customers seeking support on products or services and support personnel from companies providing the products or services. Preferably, the cloud based server is programmed to perform the steps of associating a subset of the participants with a selected product or service, enabling the customers to initiate a support case for the selected product or service, and enabling the subset of the participants associated with the product or service to communicate in order to resolve the support case. 
         [0059]    According to another aspect of the present invention, a method executed at least in part in a computing device for providing cloud based customer support services is provided. The method includes providing a cloud based service enabling data interchange between participants of a cloud based support service, the participants including customers seeking support on products or services and support personnel from companies providing the products or services, the cloud based service providing access to a database stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and providing a user interface, associating a subset of the participants with a selected product or service through the user interface associated with the cloud based service, enabling the customers to initiate a support case for the selected product or service through the user interface associated with the cloud based service, and enabling the subset of the participants associated with the product or service to communicate in order to resolve the support case through the user interface of the cloud based service. 
         [0060]    According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a method for providing customer support includes providing a cloud based service enabling data interchange between participants of a cloud based support service, the participants including customers seeking support on products or services and support personnel from companies providing the products or services, the cloud based service providing access to a database stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and providing a user interface. The method further includes providing access to a plurality of companies providing support to their customers using the cloud-based service on the host device. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0061]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0062]      FIG. 2  illustrates a screen display of a page allowing a user to set up an account and join the cloud-based support service, log into an existing account, or find out more information about the service. There is also a link to assist individuals in registering their company to provide support for customers. 
           [0063]      FIG. 3  illustrates a screen display of a page which may be display after a user logs into their account. This page houses all of the products the user is following. If there is a new or open support case on any product a user is following, it will appear next to the product in the form of a red or blue notification box. This page may also be personalized giving a user the ability to rearrange the order in which the user views the products. The user may view them in a ‘list’ view, organize products into folders, or unfollow a product. 
           [0064]      FIG. 4  illustrates a screen display of a page which may be displayed after a user selects a product from their Dashboard. The product overview page shows all of that product&#39;s information and gives the user an activity feed for that specific product. 
           [0065]      FIG. 5  illustrates a screen display of a page containing a tab which lists all of the Support Cases that are associated with this specific product. 
           [0066]      FIG. 6  illustrates a screen display of a page containing a tab which shows the various image folders that store images of this specific product. Clicking on an image folder displays all of the photos and videos inside that folder. 
           [0067]      FIG. 7  illustrates a screen display of a page containing a tab which lists all of the documents that have been uploaded to this specific product. 
           [0068]      FIG. 8  illustrates a screen display of a page containing a tab which shows all of the people that are linked to this specific product. These are the only people that will receive notifications on Support Cases or any other activity specific to this product. 
           [0069]      FIG. 9  illustrates a screen display of a page which may be viewed after selecting a Support Case. The overview tab shows all of the Support Case information. The creator of the case has the ability to change the status from open to closed or change the type, severity, name or description of the case. 
           [0070]      FIG. 10  illustrates a screen display of a method of communication between people within a Support Case. Through Support Chat users may have real-time conversations with the people that can best support a customer for the product they need assistance with. A user can also invite other users to a Support Case regardless if they are following that product or not. Images and documents may be uploaded directly to a Support Case within the Support Chat as well. 
           [0071]      FIG. 11  illustrates a screen display of a page containing a tab which shows images that have been uploaded to the specific Support Case. 
           [0072]      FIG. 12  illustrates a screen display of the Image Viewer displays after a user selects any image. This will display when the image was uploaded and the user who uploaded it. Image information such as an image name or image description may also be displayed here. 
           [0073]      FIG. 13  illustrates a screen display of a page containing a tab which is not viewable to a client. It is only viewable by a member of the supporting company. It is used to track the time spent on each Support Case. This is used to create a report that an Admin of the company site can then use to bill the client. 
           [0074]      FIG. 14  illustrates a screen display of the page which may be used in creating a new Support Case. A user may be able to name the case, write a case description, specify the case type, and choose the severity of the case. 
           [0075]      FIG. 15  illustrates a screen display of the page which is all about a user and includes information such as name, position in a company, email(s), and phone number(s). A user can choose what information is viewable to the public. A user can also upload a profile picture on this page that will be used as a thumbnail throughout the cloud-based service wherever their name appears. 
           [0076]      FIG. 16  illustrates a screen display of a dashboard allowing a user to select a product or a folder or group of products. 
           [0077]      FIG. 17  illustrates a screen display showing products within a folder or group of products. 
           [0078]      FIG. 18  illustrates a screen display showing companies supporting a user. 
           [0079]      FIG. 19  illustrates a screen display showing a product of a company. 
           [0080]      FIG. 20  illustrates a screen display providing an overview of a product. 
           [0081]      FIG. 21  illustrates a screen display showing support cases for a product. 
           [0082]      FIG. 22  illustrates images available for a product. 
           [0083]      FIG. 23  illustrates system images available for a product. 
           [0084]      FIG. 24  illustrates a system image for a product and associated image information. 
           [0085]      FIG. 25  illustrates folders containing documents available for a product including product documents and case folders. 
           [0086]      FIG. 26  illustrates a document available for a product. 
           [0087]      FIG. 27  illustrates a screen display shown people associated with a company which supports a product and people receiving support. 
           [0088]      FIG. 28  illustrates an overview for a support case. 
           [0089]      FIG. 29  illustrates a chat feature for a support case. 
           [0090]      FIG. 30  illustrates activity information. 
           [0091]      FIG. 31  illustrates chat information. 
           [0092]      FIG. 32  illustrates echoed cases that a user is being supported on. 
           [0093]      FIG. 33  illustrates a screen display for creating a new advertisement. 
           [0094]      FIG. 34  illustrates a screen display for managing advertisements. 
           [0095]      FIG. 35  illustrates another screen display for managing an advertisement. 
           [0096]      FIG. 36  illustrates a screen display for an administrator log in. 
           [0097]      FIG. 37  illustrates a screen display or selecting a company. 
           [0098]      FIG. 38  illustrates a screen display for editing company information including the name of the company and a logo of the company. 
           [0099]      FIG. 39  illustrates editing a company name. 
           [0100]      FIG. 40  illustrates a screen display for managing support groups. 
           [0101]      FIG. 41  illustrates another screen display for managing support groups. 
           [0102]      FIG. 42  illustrates creating a new support group. 
           [0103]      FIG. 43  illustrates editing an existing support group. 
           [0104]      FIG. 44  illustrates adding a supporter to a support group. 
           [0105]      FIG. 45  illustrates a screen display for arranging support groups. 
           [0106]      FIG. 46  is a screen display illustrating products for a company. 
           [0107]      FIG. 47  is a screen display illustrating support personnel for a company. 
           [0108]      FIG. 48  is a screen display illustrating adding a supporter to a company. 
           [0109]      FIG. 49  is a screen display further illustrating adding a supporter to a company. 
           [0110]      FIG. 50  is a screen display for editing a supporter. 
           [0111]      FIG. 51  illustrates a screen display with multiple dashboard. 
           [0112]      FIG. 52  illustrates a screen display showing profiles for different products. 
           [0113]      FIG. 53  illustrates a screen display showing tracks. 
           [0114]      FIG. 54  illustrates a screen display showing a profile for a particular product. 
           [0115]      FIG. 55  illustrates a screen display where the tracks tab is selected for a product. 
           [0116]      FIG. 56  illustrates a screen display where the photos tab is selected. 
           [0117]      FIG. 57  illustrates a screen display where the documents tab is shown. 
           [0118]      FIG. 58  illustrates a screen display where the people tab is selected. 
           [0119]      FIG. 59  illustrates a screen display showing the editing of a profile for a product. 
           [0120]      FIG. 60  illustrates a screen display for creating a new case or track. 
           [0121]      FIG. 61  illustrates a screen display associated with a track. 
           [0122]      FIG. 62  illustrates a screen display associated with a track where the overview tab is selected. 
           [0123]      FIG. 63  illustrates a screen display associated with a track where the people tab is selected. 
           [0124]      FIG. 64  illustrates a screen display after the button for adding other people is selected. 
           [0125]      FIG. 65  illustrates a screen display with a window which may be used to disconnect a person from a particular track. 
           [0126]      FIG. 66  illustrates a screen display with the photos tab selected. 
           [0127]      FIG. 67  illustrates a screen display with the documents tab selected. 
           [0128]      FIG. 68  illustrates a screen display with profiles that a user is following as well as notifications. 
           [0129]      FIG. 69  illustrates a screen display for editing a profile or account of a user. 
           [0130]      FIG. 70  illustrates a screen display for an administrator to use to add or edit information about a company. 
           [0131]      FIG. 71  illustrates a screen display for an administrator to use to maintain company personnel. 
           [0132]      FIG. 72  illustrates a screen display for an administrator to delete profiles. 
           [0133]      FIG. 73  illustrates a screen display where the second dashboard is selected. 
           [0134]      FIG. 74  illustrates a screen display showing profile connections sorted by company. 
           [0135]      FIG. 75  illustrates a screen display showing profiles associated with a selected company. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0136]    The present invention provides for methods, apparatus, and systems for providing customer support. Although specific embodiments are shown and described herein, the present invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments described. 
         [0137]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , a system  10  is provided. The system  10  includes a host  12  which is a computing device which may be configured to act as a web server or other cloud based server. There is a computer readable storage medium associated with the host  12  which is non-transitory. A database  16  may be accessible to the host  12 . The database  16  may include data associated with customers, companies, and their accounts. Collectively those who access the cloud-based service may be referred to as participants. Any number of companies  18 A,  18 B,  18 C and their support personnel may access the host  12  through a network such as the internet  14 . Similarly, any number of customers  20 A,  20 B,  20 C may access the host  12 . Any number of types of computing devices may be used to access the host  12 , include mobile devices such as phones  24 , tablet devices  26 , notebook computers  28 , or desktop computers  30 . 
         [0138]    The host  12  provides a hosted application that does not require packaged distribution. Companies may be provided with administrative rights and the ability to host and support their customer and product base and may be required to pay a license fee. Customers may sign up in a manner that is preferably simple and preferably without fee. Once registered, a customer may be supported by any company that uses the system. Thus, it is contemplated that a customer who is a customer of multiple companies which are a part of the system can receive support from all of the companies through the system. Thus, customers may receive additional benefits where multiple companies they have relationships with provide support through the same system. 
         [0139]      FIG. 2  illustrates a screen display  50 . A login area  52  allows a user to log-into an existing account. There is also a registration area  54  for new customers. There is also a link  56  which may be followed to register a company so that the company can start supporting customers right away. Other information may be presented on the screen display including additional information about the services or links to additional information about the services, download links to applications for different platforms, or other information. 
         [0140]      FIG. 3  is a screen display  60  which may be presented to a user after logging into their account. The screen display includes a dashboard  62  as well as relevant information  64  such as the number of support cases which are new and/or open. In the area  66  all of the products which the user is following are shown along with an indication of the number of support cases (new and/or open) for that product. Different colors may be used for these notifications. Preferably, the display of information may be personalized for a user such as by allowing a user the rearrange the order in which products are viewed. For example, a user may be able to list the products in a list view, organize the products into folders or unfollow a product if you choose. Thus, the present invention contemplates that a user may be linked to multiple products and thus allows for multi-product support. 
         [0141]    It is also noted that the present invention allows for bi-modal multi-product support and allows users to support and be supported on multiple products through the same account. Bi-Modal Multi-Product Support enables a user to receive support on all products pertinent to the user—in one place. It also gives the user the ability to support every product within their company that the user is responsible for, again—in one place. 
         [0142]    When a user is ‘following’ a product it means he wants to receive notifications about all activity connected to that product and be able to view the new, closed, and open Support Cases on that product in his main Support Case menu. The main Support Case menu keeps a running total of all new and open Support Cases on all products the user is following. Once invited onto a product by another user already associated with that product, the invited user may choose to accept the invite and follow that product or decline the invite, in which case the user would not be following the product. Any ‘unfollowed’ products can be viewed in the Dashboard by selecting “Unfollowed Products” from the drop down filter. The user then has the option to ‘follow’ the product, in which case the user would receive notifications on all activity on that product. If the user wanted to ‘unfollow’ a currently ‘followed’ product, the user would do so by editing their dashboard and choosing the ‘unfollow’ option next to the product icon. ‘Follow’ allows a user to fully customize what products the user receives information on so that there is only receiving notifications regarding the products the user cares about. 
         [0143]      FIG. 4  is a screen display  70  which may be presented to a user after they select a product from the dashboard shown in  FIG. 3 . The screen display  70  shows an overview  76  of a product which includes such information as product information  72  and activity feedback  74 . Examples of product information include a product name, a product identifier, an in-service data, a customer name, a customer location, an item name, a serial number, and a description. Examples of activity information may include date and time information as well type of activity and user performing the activity. Examples of such activities may include when a new support case is created, content such as documents or images are added or other activities. Thus, a user may be attached or linked to a specific product for support on that product. This allows people to be linked only to the products they care about, whether they are supporting a product or receiving support on a product. 
         [0144]      FIG. 5  illustrates a screen display  80  with a support cases tab  82  which provides a listing  84  of all of the support cases that are associated with the selected product. Information about the support cases can be shown in various ways. For example, different colors may be used to specify different severity or different priority. The information can also include the type of case such as software, mechanical, electrical, or other type. The information can further indicate a number or other identifier of the support ticket or case, the status of the case (such as new, open, or closed), the serial number for the product, a name or description for the support case, the company or customer experiencing the issue, and date and time information. 
         [0145]    A company administrator or Admin can set up different Support Case types. The case type setup may pertain to all of the company&#39;s products being supported and is not limited to just one product. When a user creates a new Support Case and selects a case type, that case is then categorized as such. Different case types specify the category of a Support Case. A user can choose to only be notified about certain types of Support Cases. 
         [0146]    Support Case types help categorize the Support Cases for the customer service people working to solve them. Categorizing cases in this way narrows down the possible reasons for needed support and helps ensure the right people are notified immediately so the problem can be solved as quickly as possible. 
         [0147]      FIG. 6  illustrates a screen display  90  containing a tab  92  which shows the various image folders that store images of this specific product. Clicking on an image folder displays all of the photos and videos inside that folder. The image folders may include a product images folder  94 , a case images folder  95 , a software images folder  96 , an electrical images folder  97 , and an inspection images folder  98 . Images or videos can serve a number of different purposes including to show what a product is and to document a problem with the product or its operations. Note that the folder name may be anything that a supporting company decided it should be for a particular product, thus the names shown are merely representative names. 
         [0148]    Photos, videos and documents can be uploaded to a specific Support Case. These files are associated with a Support Case even after the case has been closed. Images and documents may be uploaded through the Support Case chat feature or on the “Images” or “Documents” tab within the Support Case. These images and documents may also be viewed by navigating to the “Images” or “Documents” tab within the product (not the case) and selecting the “Case Images” or “Case Documents” folder and then navigating to the case folder. 
         [0149]    Rather than uploading images and documents onto the product itself and having other users have to dig through the mass of product images and documents to try and find the ones that relate to a specific Support Case, a user can simply upload these items directly to a Support Case and everything pertaining to that Support Case remains together in one place. 
         [0150]      FIG. 7  illustrates a screen display  100  containing a tab  102  which provides a listing  104  of all of the documents that have been uploaded for a specific product. This may include such information as installation guides, user&#39;s guides, or other documentation relevant to the installation, operation, or maintenance of the product. 
         [0151]      FIG. 8  illustrates a screen display  110  containing a tab  112  which shows a listing  114  of all of the people that are linked to this specific product. Such individuals may receive notifications on Support Cases or any other activity specific to this product. 
         [0152]    Additional people may be “added” or invited onto the product with administrator permission. A user may be invited to ‘follow’ a product by a user who is already linked to that product. The request is then pending approval from a company Administrator. Once accepted by the company Admin, the invite request is pending acceptance from the invited user. The invited user can choose to ‘follow’ the product or deny the invitation. In the case that the invited user denies the invitation, the user is ‘unfollowing’ the product. A user cannot remove themselves completely from a product, as that is up to the company Admin, a user can only ‘unfollow’ the product. Although Admins have to approve what users are linked to a product, they may not always know exactly who to invite. That is where Plus 1 comes in, which is the ability for any user linked to a product to invite any other user onto that product. This feature helps ensure that the right people are linked to the right products. 
         [0153]      FIG. 9  illustrates a screen display  120  containing a tab  122  which provides an overview after a support case has been selected. The overview tab  122  shows all of the support case information. The creator of the case has the ability to change the status  125  from open to closed or change the type  125 , severity  126 , name  127  or description  128  of the case. 
         [0154]      FIG. 10  illustrates a screen display  130  of a method of communication between people within a Support Case. A description  134  for the Support Case is shown. Through Support Chat a customer may have real-time conversations  136  with the people that can best support the user and the product. A user can also invite any user to a Support Case regardless if they are following that product or not. Images and documents may be uploaded directly to a Support Case within the Support Chat as well such as selecting to “add image to case”  137  or “add document to case”  138 . 
         [0155]      FIG. 11  illustrates a screen display  140  containing a tab  142  shows images that have been uploaded to the specific Support Case. This may include photos  144  as well as videos  146 . 
         [0156]      FIG. 12  illustrates a screen display  150  which includes an image viewer for viewing an image  151 . The image viewer may be used whenever an image is selected. Once the image viewer is selected the image  151  will be displayed as well as other image information  152  will be displayed such as the user who uploaded the image, when the image was uploaded, and a description  154  of the image. 
         [0157]      FIG. 13  illustrates a screen display  160  containing a time tab  162 . The time tab  162  is not viewable to a client but is viewable by a member of the supporting company. The time tab  162  may be used to track the time spent on each Support Case. Recorded information may include a date  164 , a time duration  166 , and/or a description  168 . A time card  169  for the Support Case may be provided. This information may be used to create a report than an Admin of the company can used to bill the client. Thus, the present invention allows for capturing the time spent on support tasks. 
         [0158]      FIG. 14  illustrates a screen display  170  which may be viewed when creating a new Support Case. A user creating a new Support Case may provide a case name  12 , a case description  174 , a type of case  175 , case severity  176 , and other information. 
         [0159]      FIG. 15  illustrates a screen display  180  providing information about a user. Such information may include name, position within a company, email address(es), and phone number(s), and/or other contact information  182 . A user can select which information is viewable to the public. A user can also upload a profile picture  184  on this page that will be used as a thumbnail whenever the user&#39;s name appears. 
         [0160]    Note that as shown in  FIG. 15  multi-company linking is permitted. Thus, users can be linked to multiple supporting companies. In the event that a user is employed by both Company A and Company B and is supporting products for both companies, the user has the ability to be linked to both Company A and B. The user can toggle between the two companies and see real-time changes in their total Support Case numbers and products he supports in their Dashboard. This is very useful for anyone trying to support multiple products over a range of several companies. A prime example of this would be a service contractor. Through Multi-Company Linking the service contractor can support several different companies&#39; products and keep track of which products belong to which company.  FIG. 15  illustrates a screen display of the page which is all about a user and includes information such as name, position in a company, email(s), and phone number(s). A user can choose what information is viewable to the public. A user can also upload a profile picture on this page that will be used as a thumbnail throughout the cloud-based service wherever their name appears. 
         [0161]      FIG. 16  illustrates a screen display of a dashboard allowing a user to select a product or a folder or group of products. As shown in  FIG. 16 , a screen display  200  is provided with a dashboard  202 . A list of products  204  is also provided. 
         [0162]      FIG. 17  illustrates a screen display showing products within a folder or group of products. As shown in  FIG. 17 , a screen display  220  is provided for a grouping of products  222 . Within the product grouping is a list  224  of products. 
         [0163]      FIG. 18  illustrates a screen display showing companies supporting a user. As shown in  FIG. 18 , a screen display  240  identifies companies supporting a user  242  and provides a listing  244  of those companies. 
         [0164]      FIG. 19  illustrates a screen display showing a product of a company. As shown in  FIG. 19 , a screen display  260  includes a company name  262  and a listing  264  of products from that company. 
         [0165]      FIG. 20  illustrates a screen display providing an overview of a product. As shown in  FIG. 20 , a screen display  280  includes a product  282  and tabs  284  about the product including an overview tab  285 . Information contained within the product overview may include product information  286  and activity information  288 . Product information may include information such as product name, a product identifier, an in-service date, a location, an item name, a serial number, a description, or a supporter for the product. Activity information  288  may include information of various activities such as creating a new case, added documents, or other user activity. A new support case button  290  is also shown which may be used to create a new case. 
         [0166]      FIG. 21  illustrates a screen display showing support cases for a product. As shown in  FIG. 21 , a screen display  300  includes a product  302  and related tabs including a support cases tab  304 . With the support cases tab  304  selected, a listing  306  of support cases is provided. The listing  306  may include severity of the case, the company, the case number assigned, the status of the case, the product, the case name, the serial number for the product, and the date of last modification to the support case. 
         [0167]      FIG. 22  illustrates images available for a product. As shown in  FIG. 22 , a screen display  320  provides information for a product  302  and tabs about the product including an images tab  322 . The images may be organized into albums  324  for the product. In addition, case albums  326  are provided. Thus all images associated with a product can be accessed whether they are associated with a product or a support case involving the product. In addition, a button  328  is provided for generating a new support case. 
         [0168]      FIG. 23  illustrates system images available for a product. As shown in  FIG. 23 , a screen display  340  includes an images tab  342  and a collection of images  346 . One of the system images  348  within the collection may be selected.  FIG. 24  illustrates the system image  348  and associated image information which may include a user who uploaded the image, when the image was uploaded including date and type, and an image description. 
         [0169]      FIG. 25  illustrates folders containing documents available for a product including product documents and case folders. As shown in  FIG. 24 , there is a screen display  380  for a product which includes a documents tab  382 . The documents may be organized into folders  384 . In addition, documents associated with specific cases may be organized into case folders  386 . Thus all images associated with a product can be accessed whether they are associated with a product or a support case involving the product. 
         [0170]      FIG. 26  illustrates a document available for a product. As shown in  FIG. 26 , there is a screen display  400  for product documents. There is a documents tab  382  and a listing  402  of product documents is shown. 
         [0171]      FIG. 27  illustrates a screen display shown people associated with a company which supports a product and people receiving support. As shown in  FIG. 27 , there is a screen display  420 . There is a people tab  424 . People for the organization providing support are shown in listing  426 . People receiving support are shown in listing  428 . 
         [0172]      FIG. 28  illustrates an overview for a support case. As shown in  FIG. 28 , there is a screen display  440  for a new support case. There is an overview tab  442  provided. Various data fields are provided for collecting or displaying information associated with the support case. This can include the product name  446 , the serial number  448  for the product, the individual opening the support case  450 , the case number  452 , the creation date and or time  454 , the date of last modification  456 , the status  458  of the case, the notification setting  460 , the case severity  462 , the case type,  464  as well as other information such as a case name and case description. 
         [0173]      FIG. 29  illustrates a chat feature for a support case. As shown in  FIG. 29 , a screen display  480  includes a chat tab  482  for a support case. The description  484  for the support case may be shown as well as chat dialog  486 . A new chat message  488  may be posted by the user. 
         [0174]      FIG. 30  illustrates activity information. As shown in  FIG. 30 , a screen display  500  is provided. A button  502  is provided at the top which may be selected to see activities or activities  504  may be seen by a mouse over the button  502 . 
         [0175]      FIG. 31  illustrates chat information. As shown in  FIG. 31 , a screen display  520  is provided. A button  522  is provided at the top which may be selected to see chat entries or chat entries  525  may be seen by a mouse over the button  522 . 
         [0176]      FIG. 32  illustrates echoed cases that a user is being supported on. As shown in  FIG. 32 , a screen display  540  is provided. A button  542  indicates the number of cases which a user is being supported on. The button  542  may be selected to see the cases or the cases  544  may be seen by a mouse over the button  542 . 
         [0177]      FIG. 33  illustrates a screen display for creating a new advertisement. As shown in  FIG. 33 , a screen display  600  is provided which is associated with administrator account as indicated by the administrator tab  602 . This is associated with the create new ad button  601  on the left of the screen display. A logo may be placed in the space  604 . Additional information for the advertisement may be specified by using corresponding fields. This may include a name  606 , a description  608 , a hyperlink,  610 , and an image  612 . A button  614  is shown for saving and creating the advertisement is provided as well as a button  616  for canceling and discarding the advertisement. 
         [0178]      FIG. 34  illustrates a screen display for managing advertisements. A screen display  620  associated with selection of the manage ads button  622  is shown. A set of advertisements  621  is provided. For advertisement  624 , the name and status of the advertisement is shown. Buttons include a turn off button  626  which may be used, an edit button  628  is shown, and a delete ad  630  button is shown. For ads which are already off, an activate button may replace the turn off button  626 . 
         [0179]      FIG. 35  illustrates a screen display  640  for managing advertisements. 
         [0180]      FIG. 36  illustrates a screen display  700  for an administrator to log in. The admin  708  near the top left indicates that the user has administrator privileges for a company. A user name  702 , password  704 , and log in button  706  are provided. 
         [0181]      FIG. 37  illustrates a screen display or selecting a company. The screen display  720  includes a listing  722  of available companies to select from. 
         [0182]      FIG. 38  illustrates a screen display  740  for editing company information including the name of the company and a logo of the company. Note that the info button  742  is highlighted. A company name  744  is shown which may be edited by selecting the edit function  748 . A company logo  746  may be shown which may be edited by selecting the change company logo function  750 . 
         [0183]      FIG. 39  illustrates editing a company name. The screen display  760  includes a field  761  for a company name, a save button  762 , and a cancel button  764 . 
         [0184]      FIG. 40  illustrates a screen display  780  for managing support groups. Note that the support groups button  782  is highlighted on the left of the screen display  780 . A button  784  is provided for adding a new support group and a button  786  is provided for arranging the support groups. Various support groups  788 ,  790 ,  792 , and  794  are shown which allow users to be added or which may be otherwise edited. 
         [0185]      FIG. 41  illustrates another screen display  800  for managing support groups. A further listing  802  of support groups are provided. 
         [0186]      FIG. 42  illustrates creating a new support group. As shown in  FIG. 42 , the screen display  820  includes a pop-up window  824  while allows a name of support group  826  to be entered. A create group button  828  may be selected to then create the group or the operation may be cancelled by selecting the cancel button  830 . 
         [0187]      FIG. 43  illustrates editing an existing support group. As shown in  FIG. 43 , a screen display  840  is provided. A window  842  is provided for editing a support group such as by changing a name  844  of the support group. The group may also be deleted by using the delete group button  846 . Once a group has been edited, a user may select the save button  848  or the cancel button  850 . 
         [0188]      FIG. 44  illustrates adding a supporter to a support group. A shown in  FIG. 44 , a screen display  860  for adding a supporter to a support network is provided. A window  862  us provided which includes a search tool  864  which may be used to find a user by name or email address. A listing  866  of users is provided. 
         [0189]      FIG. 45  illustrates a screen display for arranging support groups. As shown in  FIG. 45 , a screen display  880  is present. As indicated near the top of the screen display is used to arrange groups  882 . A listing  884  of support groups is provided. Arranging support groups changes the order in which they are displayed on the support groups page. 
         [0190]      FIG. 46  is a screen display illustrating products for a company. As shown in  FIG. 46 , a screen display  900  is present which provides information about products. To the left, a products button  902  is selected. A listing  904  of products for a company is shown. These products may be deleted if no people are associated with the product. 
         [0191]      FIG. 47  is a screen display illustrating support personnel for a company. As shown in  FIG. 47 , a screen display  920  is present which provides information about support personnel. To the left, a support personnel button  922  is shown. An administrator may add a supporter to a company by selecting the add supporter button  924 . A listing  926  of current administrators for the company is shown as well as a listing  928  for supporters for the company. 
         [0192]      FIG. 48  is a screen display illustrating adding a supporter to a company. As shown in  FIG. 48 , a screen display  940  is present and a dialog box or window  942  may be used to add a supporter to a company. A search box  946  may be provided to allow a user to be searched for based on their name or email address. 
         [0193]      FIG. 49  is a screen display further illustrating adding a supporter to a company. As shown in  FIG. 49 , a screen display  960  is present and a dialog box or window  962  is present for adding a supporter to a company. Information about the supporter  974  may be collected. Such information may include their name, company, email address or other information. There is also a checkbox  988  which may be selected to make the supporter an administrator for the company. Once complete, the add supporter button  968  may be selected to add the supporter. 
         [0194]      FIG. 50  is a screen display for editing a supporter. As shown in  FIG. 50 , a screen display  980  is present and a dialog box or window  982  is present for editing a support. The dialog box  982  provides information about a supporter such as their name, position, company, and email address and whether they are an administrator or not. A user may select a corresponding button to delete the supporter  984 , save the supporter information  986 , or cancel the operation  988 . 
         [0195]      FIG. 51  through  FIG. 75  illustrate additional embodiments of the invention. 
         [0196]      FIG. 51  illustrates a screen display  1000  with a first dashboard  1002  and a second dashboard  1004 . As shown, the first dashboard  1002  is used to access profiles associated with a particular company and the second dashboard  1004  is used to access profiles associated with other companies. Also on the screen display  1000  are screen areas associated with different functionalities of the user interface. These include notifications  1006 , track connections  1008 , red button  1010 , account  1012 , administrator  1014 , and ad space  1016 . 
         [0197]      FIG. 52  illustrates a screen display  1020 . A user  1018  is shown. A notification icon  1022  is shown which may be in the form of a bell. A red dot may be used with the bell in order to alert a user that there are new notifications. A plus icon  1024  is shown to add to the profiles. The profiles icon  1026  is shown along with an indicator of new tracks  1028  and open tracks  1030 . The new tracks  1028  can also indicate that tracks are unattended. 
         [0198]    Along the left column, a home button  1034  is shown, along with a tracks button  1036 , a profiles button  1038 , a company  1030  associated with the current profiles, a list box  1043  indicating that the profiles being viewed are those which the user is following, a new folder button  1044 , a new profile button  1046 , and an ad space area  1048 . Note that the screen display  1020  is the home. 
         [0199]    The screen display  1020  further includes the profiles  1032  for different products. For each product if there are new or open tracks associated with the product, this may be conveyed through the user interface such as by including boxes of different colors to the right of the product. 
         [0200]      FIG. 53  illustrates a screen display  1050  showing tracks. Track information  1032  is displayed. This can include new or unattended tracks  1052 , open tracks,  1054 , and recently closed tracks  1056 . Information about tracks can include the severity of the track, an identification number associated with the track, the status of the track (e.g. New, Unattended, Open, Closed, etc.), the relationship between the user and the track (e.g. Connected or Unconnected), the track title, and the profile associated with the track., and the date and time the track was closed. 
         [0201]      FIG. 54  illustrates a screen display  1058  which illustrates a profile for a particular product. An overview  1064  for the product is shown. Other tabs are present which may be selected to view tracks  1066 , photos  1068 , documents  1070 , or people  1072  associated with this product. A user can also select the create new track button  1074  to create a new track. Profile information  1060  is shown which can include the name of the profile, an identifier, an in-service date, a location, a serial number, a description, and who is managing. Activity  1062  for the product is also shown. 
         [0202]      FIG. 55  illustrates a screen display  1080  where the tracks tab  1066  is selected for a product. A new track can be created by selecting the create new track button  1074 . Information regarding new or unattended tracks  1076  is shown, information open tracks  1078  is shown, and information on recently closed tracks  1084  is shown. Button  1082  may be selected to view older closed tracks. 
         [0203]      FIG. 56  illustrates a screen display  1090  where the photos tab  1068  is selected. Available albums  1092  are shown. A user can select the New Album button  1094  to create a new album. 
         [0204]      FIG. 57  illustrates a screen display  1098  where the documents tab  1070  is shown. Available folders  1093  are shown. A user can select the new folder button  1095  to create a new folder. 
         [0205]      FIG. 58  illustrates a screen display  1100  where the people tab  1072  is selected. People associated with the company  1102  are shown and connections  1104  are also shown. 
         [0206]      FIG. 59  illustrates a screen display  1110  illustrating the editing of a profile for a product. Product information  1112  is displayed and may be edited. This can include a profile name for the product, an identifier such as the specific location of the product, an in-service date for the product, a location or address, and a description. A save button  1114  is provided for saving the information and a cancel button  1116  is also provided. 
         [0207]      FIG. 60  illustrates a screen display  1120  for creating a new case or track. Track information  1122  associated with a product can be input. This can include a track name, a track description, a status (e.g. open or closed), a track severity (e.g. low, moderate, high). A create button  1124  is shown as well as a cancel button  1126  Once created, a track number can be assigned. 
         [0208]      FIG. 61  illustrates a screen display  1130  associated with a track. The user can select the connect button  1132  to connect with this track. Tabs are shown for this track including an overview tab  1140 , a messages tab  1142 , a people tab  1144 , a photos tab  1146 , and a documents tab  1148 . The messages tab  1142  is selected. A track description  1134  is shown, as well as messages  1136 . In addition there is a section  1138  for adding a new message. 
         [0209]      FIG. 62  illustrates a screen display  1150  associated with a track where the overview tab  1140  is selected. Track information  1122  is shown which may include a profile, a serial number, a track number, a creation date, a user who opened the track, when the track was last modified, a status of the track, a track severity, a track name, and a track description. To edit the track a user may select the edit button  1152 . 
         [0210]      FIG. 63  illustrates a screen display  1160  associated with a track where the people tab  1144  is selected. People  1162  connected to the track are shown and a button  1162  for adding other people is shown. Other people  1164  from the company are also shown. 
         [0211]      FIG. 64  illustrates a screen display  1170  after the button  1162  for adding other people is selected. A window  1172  is shown with people connected to a profile on which the track was created. One or more of these people may then be connected to the track. 
         [0212]      FIG. 65  illustrates a screen display  1180  with a window  1072  which may be used to disconnect a person from a particular track. A user will receive notifications for tracks which they are connected to. Thus, it should be understood that a user will receive notifications only for tracks which they are connected with and may disconnect from tracks they are not interested in in order to avoid notifications associated with those tracks. 
         [0213]      FIG. 66  illustrates a screen display  1190  with the photos tab  1146  selected. As shown, there are currently no photos, but photos can be added by selecting the add photos button  1192 . 
         [0214]      FIG. 67  illustrates a screen display  1200  with the documents tab  1148  selected. As shown, there are currently no documents, but documents can be added by selecting the add documents button  1202 . 
         [0215]      FIG. 68  illustrates a screen display  1210  which illustrates profiles  1212  that a user is following as well as notifications  14 . Notifications can be associated with different events such as the opening of a new track, the availability of new messages, or other events. Users will receive notifications only for the tracks they are connected to. 
         [0216]      FIG. 69  illustrates a screen display  1220  for editing a profile or account of a user. This can include changing a name and/or title  1222 , an email  1224 , or companies the user is lined to  1226 . 
         [0217]      FIG. 70  illustrates a screen display  1230  for an administrator to use to add or edit information about a company. A panel  1232  includes a company info button  1234 , a company personnel button  126 , and an axis profiles button  1236 . An advertising panel  1240  is also shown which includes ad space  1242 , a create new ad button  1244 , a manage ads button  1246 , and a display of active ads  1248 . The administrator can edit the company name  1250 , or the company logo  1252 . 
         [0218]      FIG. 71  illustrates a screen display  1260  for an administrator to use to maintain company personnel. An administrator can select the add person button  1262  to add individuals. Current administrative personal  1264  are shown as well as general personnel  1266 . 
         [0219]      FIG. 72  illustrates a screen display for an administrator to delete profiles. Profiles  1272  are shown which can be deleted if there are no people on the profile. 
         [0220]      FIG. 73  illustrates a screen display  1280  where the second dashboard  1004  is selected. 
         [0221]      FIG. 74  illustrates a screen display  1290  showing profile connections sorted by company  1292 . The company may be selected. 
         [0222]      FIG. 75  illustrates a screen display  1300  showing profiles  1302  associated with a selected company. 
         [0223]    Although various representative screen displays are shown, the present invention contemplates numerous variations in the user interface including the particular user interface design elements selected or used throughout. It is noted, however, that selection of particular arrangements of user interface design elements may assist in meeting various objects, features, or advantages of the present invention. For example, it is preferred that the user interface design assist in providing a product-centric approach to managing customer support services. 
         [0224]    Therefore, methods, apparatus, and systems for providing customer support services have been disclosed. Although specific embodiments have been shown and described throughout, the present invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments shown here as the present invention contemplates numerous, variations, options, and additions.