SYSTEM, METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR PERFORMING AN ACTION IN RESPONSE TO AN EVENT

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for performing an action in response to an event. These mechanisms and methods for performing an action in response to an event can enable enhanced system and user efficiency, improved customer experience and satisfaction, decreased cost, etc.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

General Overview

Systems and methods are provided for performing an action in response to an event.

As used herein, the term multi-tenant database system refers to those systems in which various elements of hardware and software of the database system may be shared by one or more customers. For example, a given application server may simultaneously process requests for a great number of customers, and a given database table may store rows for a potentially much greater number of customers.

Next, mechanisms and methods for performing an action in response to an event will be described with reference to example embodiments.

FIG. 1illustrates a method100for performing an action in response to an event, in accordance with one embodiment. As shown in operation102, it is determined that an event has occurred. In one embodiment, the event may be determined to have occurred when one or more predetermined criteria have been met. For example, the event may be determined to have occurred when one or more identified values meet one or more predetermined criteria.

Additionally, in one embodiment, the determining may include monitoring one or more streams of data. For example, the one or more streams of data may include streaming stock data (e.g., stock process, reports, stock ticker data, etc.). In another example, the one or more streams of data may include streaming news data (e.g., local news data, international news data, financial news data, social news data, etc.).

Further, in one embodiment, the determining may include analyzing the data by comparing data from the one or more data streams against one or more predetermined criteria. For example, it may be determined whether one or more criteria are met by data retrieved from the one or more data streams. In another example, the criteria may include a threshold, and it may be determined whether the threshold has been breached by the data retrieved from the one or more data streams. In another embodiment, the predetermined criteria may include a threshold stock price, a threshold stock volume, a threshold stock increase or decrease, a predetermined news headline (e,g., one or more predetermined keywords), etc.

Further still, in one embodiment, the event may include a stock market event. For example, the event may include a stock price or stock volume reaching a predetermined level, an announcement about a publicly held company, etc. In another embodiment, the event may be determined by a system. For example, the event may be determined by a multi-tenant on-demand database system. In another example, the system may include a financial services system or other system that is associated with one or more financial aspects. In yet another embodiment, the event may be manually entered into the system. For example, a user may manually enter the event into the system when such an event is detected.

Also, in one embodiment, the event may be received automatically by the system. For example, the event may be automatically received by the system utilizing an application programming interface (API) or other means. In another embodiment, the event may be received from a system or entity that is separate from the system that receives the event. For example, a second system separate from a first system may perform monitoring and analysis to identify the event and may send an indication of the event to the first system, where the first system then determines that the event has occurred from its receipt of the indication of the event.

In another embodiment, the event may include an identification of one or more elements associated with the event (e.g., a name of an associated corporation, a stock ticker identification, a product identification, etc.). In yet another embodiment, one or more predetermined characteristics may be associated with the event, and the event may be determined to have occurred when the one or more predetermined characteristics are identified from one or more streams of data.

In addition, it should be noted that, as described above, such multi-tenant on-demand database system may include any service that relies on a database system that is accessible over a network, in which various elements of hardware and software of the database system may be shared by one or more customers (e.g. tenants). For instance, a given application server may simultaneously process requests for a great number of customers, and a given database table may store rows for a potentially much greater number of customers. Various examples of such a multi-tenant on-demand database system will be set forth in the context of different embodiments that will be described during reference to subsequent figures.

Furthermore, as shown in operation104, an entity associated with the event is identified in response to the determination. In one embodiment, the entity associated with the event may include an individual, a corporation, an application, etc. For example, the entity may include a client and/or customer of a system, where the entity is involved with the stock market. In another embodiment, the entity may be organized, classified, tiered, or otherwise arranged within a plurality of entities. For example, the entity may be included within a list of entities to be contacted during one or more occurrences.

Further still, in one embodiment, the entity may be manually associated with the event. For example, the entity may be manually added to a list within the system. In another embodiment, the entity may be automatically associated with the event (e.g., according to one or more criteria, etc.). In yet another example, the entity may be associated with the event in response to a request. For example, the entity may be associated with the event in response to a request from the entity that is received by the system (e.g., utilizing a graphical user interface (GUI) provided by the system, etc.).

Also, in one embodiment, the entity may include an object stored within the system. For example, the entity may include an object (e.g., a table, etc.) that stores contact information associated with the entity (e.g., a phone number, an email address, etc.), a name of the entity, one or more identifiers associated with the entity (e.g., usernames, etc.), etc.

Additionally, as shown in operation106, one or more actions associated with the entity are performed. In one embodiment, performing the one or more actions may include contacting the entity. For example, the entity may be alerted regarding the event. In another embodiment, the entity may be contacted using information associated with the entity. For example, the entity may be contacted using contact information associated with the entity that is stored within an entity object.

Further, in one embodiment, performing the one or more actions may include adding the entity to a call list. For example, a call list may be provided to one or more users on a periodic basis (e.g., daily, hourly, etc.), where the call list indicates entities to be contacted by the one or more users via telephone. In another embodiment, performing the one or more actions may include sending an email to the entity. In yet another embodiment, performing the one or more actions may include posting a message to a social media page (e.g., web page, site, etc.) associated with the entity.

Also, in one embodiment, the one or more actions that are performed may be limited by one or more conditions associated with the entity. For example, the entity object may include one or more restrictions that limit the ways in which the entity is contacted (e.g., only by private email or phone, not by public social media postings, etc.). In another embodiment, performing the one or more actions may include confirming that the entity was contacted regarding the event. For example, a supervisor of a user may be notified to confirm that the user has contacted the entity regarding the event. In another example, if a user has contacted the entity regarding the event, an automatic notification of such contacting may be sent to a supervisor of the user. In this way, entities associated with particular events may be personally notified when such events occur.

FIG. 2illustrates an exemplary method200for performing stock market reporting, in accordance with another embodiment. As an option, the method200may be carried out in the context of the functionality ofFIG. 1. Of course, however, the method200may be carried out in any desired environment. The aforementioned definitions may apply during the present description.

As shown in operation202, a market event is identified. In one embodiment, the market event may include an event associated with one or more stock markets (e.g., one or more stocks traded within one or more stock markets, etc.). For example, the market event may be associated with stock activity within one or more stock markets. In another embodiment, the market event may include an event associated with one or more news stories regarding one or more stocks traded within one or more stock markets.

Additionally, in one embodiment, the market event may include an inbound event that is received at a system. For example, the market event may include an inbound market event entry that is automatically received at the system utilizing a web services API within the system. In another example, the market event may include an inbound market event that is manually entered into the system by an administrator (e.g., before a morning call, etc.). In another embodiment, the market event may be a situation where a stock that an institutional sales representative has important customers in or that an equity analyst covers is down 10% in pre-market or has traded at 300% of average daily volume.

Further, in one embodiment, the market event may be identified through analysis performed within the system. For example, one or more applications within the system may monitor data associated with one or more stocks within one or more stock markets. In another example, one or more applications within the system may analyze the monitored data (e.g., by comparing the monitored data to one or more thresholds, inputting the monitored data into one or more analysis equations, etc.).FIG. 3illustrates an interface300of an exemplary technical analysis software platform that performs a continuous scan of stock data302traded within a predetermined stock market. In one embodiment, an automated entry of market events into the system may be generated from a technical analysis platform that may continually calculate if a pre-determined indicator threshold has been breached by comparing the scanned stock data to the threshold. If the indicator threshold is breached, the system may receive a market event, and one or more market event records may be created utilizing a system API.

Further still, as shown in operation204, one or more customers associated with the market event are determined. In one embodiment, the one or more customers may include one or more customers of the system. In another embodiment, the one or more customers may include customers of a client of the system. In yet another embodiment, each of a plurality of customers may be associated with (e.g., linked with, etc.) one or more predetermined stocks, one or more predetermined corporations, etc. For example, each of the plurality of customers may be represented by a customer object within the system, and an identifier of one or more predetermined stocks (e.g., the stock ticker, etc.) and/or one or more corporations may be linked to each customer object.

Also, in one embodiment, a customer may be automatically associated with a stock when it is identified that the customer purchases the stock. In another embodiment, a customer may be associated with a stock in response to a request by the customer to be associated with the stock (e.g., a request submitted by the customer utilizing a GUI of the system, etc.). In another embodiment, the market event may be associated with a predetermined stock and/or a predetermined corporation, and all customers associated with the predetermined stock and/or corporation (e.g., via their customer object, etc.) may be determined to be associated with the market event.

Additionally, as shown in operation206, the one or more customers associated with the market event are included in a call list report. In one embodiment, the call list report may include a report that is sent to one or more users that indicates one or more customers who are to be contacted by the one or more users. In another embodiment, the call list report may be sent to one or more users of the system. For example, the call list report may be emailed at a predetermined time of day. In another example, the call list report may be generated on demand. In yet another example, the call list report may be emailed in response to the identification of the market event.

Further, in one embodiment, customers may be ordered within the call list report. For example, customers may be ranked within the call list report according to importance, relevance, significance, etc.FIG. 4illustrates an exemplary call list400including an event description402identifying a market event, customer descriptions404containing information describing a plurality of customers, customer names406, customer contact information408, and contact assistant information410.

Further still, in one embodiment, standard activity reporting may also allow for monitoring (e.g., by sales management, etc.). For example, activities performed based on the call lists (e.g., calls made to customers by users, etc.) may be identified and reported to management. In this way, managers may confirm that key clients are being called. In another embodiment, more complex reporting may be performed that may compare activities generated against contacts or accounts where market events were generated for securities which the contact or account has an interest in. Customer segmentation criteria may also be incorporated to prioritize sales calls.

Also, in one embodiment, social media may be incorporated to allow for discussion of market events by system users. However, one or more of a customer's security, regulatory and compliance requirements may pose constraints on the user of social media. In another embodiment, the system may generate financial market-related events a scan of one or more social media viewpoints to identify one or more market events and update a table of market events within the system.

Additionally, in one embodiment, for other industries, product updates, news, competitor updates and other relevant new information may be identified as events detected and captured by the system and then written into the a market event table within the system, again generating a call list for the sales representative, or even just providing timely competitive intelligence as it might related to key customer interests.

Further, in one embodiment, a technical analysis and/or automated trading software platform may be used to generate real-time market events. Such a platform and/or analysis may have an event driven capability and may integrate with the system API. In another embodiment, the system may include a service which leverages an existing technical analysis library to provide basic analysis and optimized integration where a customer doesn't have an existing capability.

In this way, the system may promote greater sales rep engagement with the system through the generation of the market event generated call lists. With real-time integration to market data present in the POC, quicker notification of events as generated by the technical analysis platform may promote greater engagement with and adoption of the system by sales representatives of various companies. This solution may target early morning meetings and subsequent call activities that occur on a daily basis within institutional sales teams.

Additionally, an association may be made between financial instruments and contacts interested in the various instruments. The system and methods may then be implemented via a associative/junction object. For example, market events may enter the system from integration with a technical analysis platform which is integrated with a market data feed provider to drive the generation of call lists. The sales representative may use the call lists to call contacts for which there has been a market event as determined by the technical analysis software.

Further, by capturing market events related to securities entered manually or via a system web services API, the system may drive usage (e.g., via call list generation, etc.) providing the basis for increased usage and data capture user adoption (i.e. social media discussion of inbound market event data). Associating securities events with customers via the API on a real-time basis may provide a compelling reason for sales representatives to regularly consult the system as one way to react and stay in front of time-sensitive developments.

Further still, using a few new objects, the system may manage market events by having financial instruments associated with contacts to provide a call list for institutional salespeople. The process of associating financial instruments with corresponding contacts may include migrating data where this association already exists into the system, or manual association by administrators and/or assistants initially and/or sales reps on an ongoing basis.

System Overview

FIG. 5illustrates a block diagram of an environment510wherein an on-demand database system might be used. Environment510may include user systems512, network514, system516, processor system517, application platform518, network interface520, tenant data storage522, system data storage524, program code526, and process space528. In other embodiments, environment510may not have all of the components listed and/or may have other elements instead of, or in addition to, those listed above.

Environment510is an environment in which an on-demand database system exists. User system512may be any machine or system that is used by a user to access a database user system. For example, any of user systems512can be a handheld computing device, a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a work station, and/or a network of computing devices. As illustrated inFIG. 5(and in more detail inFIG. 6) user systems512might interact via a network514with an on-demand database system, which is system516.

The users of user systems512may differ in their respective capacities, and the capacity of a particular user system512might be entirely determined by permissions (permission levels) for the current user. For example, where a salesperson is using a particular user system512to interact with system516, that user system has the capacities allotted to that salesperson. However, while an administrator is using that user system to interact with system516, that user system has the capacities allotted to that administrator. In systems with a hierarchical role model, users at one permission level may have access to applications, data, and database information accessible by a lower permission level user, but may not have access to certain applications, database information, and data accessible by a user at a higher permission level. Thus, different users will have different capabilities with regard to accessing and modifying application and database information, depending on a user's security or permission level.

User systems512might communicate with system516using TCP/IP and, at a higher network level, use other common Internet protocols to communicate, such as HTTP, FTP, AFS, WAP, etc. In an example where HTTP is used, user system512might include an HTTP client commonly referred to as a “browser” for sending and receiving HTTP messages to and from an HTTP server at system516. Such an HTTP server might be implemented as the sole network interface between system516and network514, but other techniques might be used as well or instead. In some implementations, the interface between system516and network514includes load sharing functionality, such as round-robin HTTP request distributors to balance loads and distribute incoming HTTP requests evenly over a plurality of servers. At least as for the users that are accessing that server, each of the plurality of servers has access to the MTS' data; however, other alternative configurations may be used instead.

In one embodiment, system516, shown inFIG. 5, implements a web-based customer relationship management (CRM) system. For example, in one embodiment, system516includes application servers configured to implement and execute CRM software applications as well as provide related data, code, forms, webpages and other information to and from user systems512and to store to, and retrieve from, a database system related data, objects, and Webpage content. With a multi-tenant system, data for multiple tenants may be stored in the same physical database object, however, tenant data typically is arranged so that data of one tenant is kept logically separate from that of other tenants so that one tenant does not have access to another tenant's data, unless such data is expressly shared. In certain embodiments, system516implements applications other than, or in addition to, a CRM application. For example, system516may provide tenant access to multiple hosted (standard and custom) applications, including a CRM application. User (or third party developer) applications, which may or may not include CRM, may be supported by the application platform518, which manages creation, storage of the applications into one or more database objects and executing of the applications in a virtual machine in the process space of the system516.

One arrangement for elements of system516is shown inFIG. 5, including a network interface520, application platform518, tenant data storage522for tenant data523, system data storage524for system data525accessible to system516and possibly multiple tenants, program code526for implementing various functions of system516, and a process space528for executing MTS system processes and tenant-specific processes, such as running applications as part of an application hosting service. Additional processes that may execute on system516include database indexing processes.

FIG. 6also illustrates environment510. However, inFIG. 6elements of system516and various interconnections in an embodiment are further illustrated.FIG. 6shows that user system512may include processor system512A, memory system512B, input system512C, and output system512D.FIG. 6shows network514and system516.FIG. 6also shows that system516may include tenant data storage522, tenant data523, system data storage524, system data525, User Interface (UI)630, Application Program Interface (API)632, PL/SOQL634, save routines636, application setup mechanism638, applications servers6001-600N, system process space602, tenant process spaces604, tenant management process space610, tenant storage area612, user storage614, and application metadata616. In other embodiments, environment510may not have the same elements as those listed above and/or may have other elements instead of, or in addition to, those listed above.

User system512, network514, system516, tenant data storage522, and system data storage524were discussed above inFIG. 5. Regarding user system512, processor system512A may be any combination of one or more processors. Memory system512B may be any combination of one or more memory devices, short term, and/or long term memory. Input system512C may be any combination of input devices, such as one or more keyboards, mice, trackballs, scanners, cameras, and/or interfaces to networks. Output system512D may be any combination of output devices, such as one or more monitors, printers, and/or interfaces to networks. As shown byFIG. 6, system516may include a network interface520(ofFIG. 5) implemented as a set of HTTP application servers600, an application platform518, tenant data storage522, and system data storage524. Also shown is system process space602, including individual tenant process spaces604and a tenant management process space610. Each application server600may be configured to tenant data storage522and the tenant data523therein, and system data storage524and the system data525therein to serve requests of user systems512. The tenant data523might be divided into individual tenant storage areas612, which can be either a physical arrangement and/or a logical arrangement of data. Within each tenant storage area612, user storage614and application metadata616might be similarly allocated for each user. For example, a copy of a user's most recently used (MRU) items might be stored to user storage614. Similarly, a copy of MRU items for an entire organization that is a tenant might be stored to tenant storage area612. A UI630provides a user interface and an API632provides an application programmer interface to system516resident processes to users and/or developers at user systems512. The tenant data and the system data may be stored in various databases, such as one or more Oracle™ databases.

Application platform518includes an application setup mechanism638that supports application developers' creation and management of applications, which may be saved as metadata into tenant data storage522by save routines636for execution by subscribers as one or more tenant process spaces604managed by tenant management process610for example. Invocations to such applications may be coded using PL/SOQL634that provides a programming language style interface extension to API632. A detailed description of some PL/SOQL language embodiments is discussed in commonly owned co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/828,192 entitled, PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR EXTENDING APIS TO EXECUTE IN CONJUNCTION WITH DATABASE APIS, by Craig Weissman, filed Oct. 4, 2006, which is incorporated in its entirety herein for all purposes. Invocations to applications may be detected by one or more system processes, which manages retrieving application metadata616for the subscriber making the invocation and executing the metadata as an application in a virtual machine.

Each application server600may be communicably coupled to database systems, e.g., having access to system data525and tenant data523, via a different network connection. For example, one application server6001might be coupled via the network514(e.g., the Internet), another application server600N-1might be coupled via a direct network link, and another application server600Nmight be coupled by yet a different network connection. Transfer Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) are typical protocols for communicating between application servers600and the database system. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that other transport protocols may be used to optimize the system depending on the network interconnect used.

In certain embodiments, each application server600is configured to handle requests for any user associated with any organization that is a tenant. Because it is desirable to be able to add and remove application servers from the server pool at any time for any reason, there is preferably no server affinity for a user and/or organization to a specific application server600. In one embodiment, therefore, an interface system implementing a load balancing function (e.g., an F5 Big-IP load balancer) is communicably coupled between the application servers600and the user systems512to distribute requests to the application servers600. In one embodiment, the load balancer uses a least connections algorithm to route user requests to the application servers600. Other examples of load balancing algorithms, such as round robin and observed response time, also can be used. For example, in certain embodiments, three consecutive requests from the same user could hit three different application servers600, and three requests from different users could hit the same application server600. In this manner, system516is multi-tenant, wherein system516handles storage of, and access to, different objects, data and applications across disparate users and organizations.

In certain embodiments, user systems512(which may be client systems) communicate with application servers600to request and update system-level and tenant-level data from system516that may require sending one or more queries to tenant data storage522and/or system data storage524. System516(e.g., an application server600in system516) automatically generates one or more SQL statements (e.g., one or more SQL queries) that are designed to access the desired information. System data storage524may generate query plans to access the requested data from the database.