Patent ID: 7467372

Claim:
A device information development system for developing and managing configuration and/or management information for devices, the system comprising: data storage means storing device data structured in accordance with a common model of parameters related to the configuration and/or management of the devices; developer interface means for allowing a software developer to develop software for configuring and/or managing devices and to enter device data into the data storage means in accordance with the common model; software product building means for building a device configuration and/or management software product for configuring and/or managing at least one device, the software product building means being adapted to build the software product by reading data for at least one device from the data storage means structured in accordance with the common model for use by device management and control software to control a processing apparatus to configure and/or manage the devices using the data for the devices included in the product and to provide the data for a device to the device to allow local configuration and/or management at the device; and software storage means storing device management and control software for at least one of configuring and managing a device, wherein said software product building means is adapted to build the software product to include the device management and control software.