AIN System
Development:
A Customer-Centered Approach
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James T. Smith |
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Briefing to |
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GTE Laboratories |
ABSTRACT
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An Architecture Which Places the
Customer as the Focus |
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Of All Service Design, Development,
Deployment, & Management |
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Several Technologies from the Field of
Distributed Artificial Intelligence |
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Are Integrated & Leveraged with
Far-Reaching Consequences |
The One-Size-Fits-One
Product
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In the old days--about three or four
years ago--we consumers asked the companies we did business with for higher quality
and greater responsiveness. They did
not let us down. |
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Today, however, responsiveness and
quality no longer guarantee that consumers will be loyal to those we do
business with. Aware that companies
will give us what we want, we’re asking for more, and that “more” is flexibility. |
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We want them to give us what we want,
not what they want to give us. |
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Flexibility means we’re looking for
companies to treat us as individuals and not like members of the herd. |
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Gary Heil & Tom Parker, “One Size
No Longer Fits All,” Information Week, 27 Feb 95, p. 112 |
The Customer Revolution
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As they did with responsiveness and
quality, businesses of all types and sizes have heeded the call and are
giving customers the opportunity to have it their way. |
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At one time we were satisfied with a
one-size-fits-all product or service; now we want businesses to bend to our
will. |
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On a rational level, this means we’re
more insistent that a product meet our special needs. |
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Information and new technology are at
the heart of the move toward customizing service. |
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Gary Heil, Tom Parker, & Rick Tate,
Leadership And The Customer Revolution, Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1995 |
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Listen to Your Customers
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Customers today expect greater variety
and customization, more sophisticated product features, and better service. |
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In response, savvy marketers are
shifting from a traditional “make and sell” approach to a knowledge-intensive
“sense-and-service” strategy. |
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Raw data is transformed into
information and, through the use of sophisticated tools and educated users,
converted into useful knowledge. |
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Information systems can impose greater
structure on a customer-service process, which offers the potential for
greater management control and impressive efficiencies. |
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But too much structure can result in
rigid operating procedures that run counter to customer expectations of
reasonable flexibility. |
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James Cash, “Listen to Your Customers,”
Information Week, 27-Feb-95, p. 108 |
Gaining Customer Loyalty
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The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. exemplifies
the value of orchestrating processes, systems, structures, information
technology, and people. All work in
concert to support a strategy of providing customized, personal, high-level
services to guests of the company’s hotels. |
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The Ritz vision for IT, explained in a
recent Harvard Business School case study, “The Ritz-Carlton: Using
Information Systems to Better Serve The Customer,” focuses on turning guest
preference data into actionable information.
Such information is available to each employee, who can use it to
provide a more personal level of service. |
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The result: In July 1994, Consumer Reports rated the Ritz-Carlton first
among luxury hotels. |
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James Cash, “Gaining Customer Loyalty,”
Information Week, 10-Apr-95, p. 108 |
Customer-Centered =
Problem-Centered
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Network’s Solution-Space |
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AIN Call Models Evolve & Service
Implementations Are Modified |
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Customer’s Problem-Space |
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Semantics of Service Context and
Behavior for the Customer’s Management Must Remain Consistent |
Problems with Current
Approaches
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Cumbersome Service Management
Interfaces |
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Designer-Centered v. Customer-Centered Organization |
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Duplication v. Synergism of Service Information |
Problems with Current
Approaches
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Cumbersome Service Management
Interfaces |
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Many Services Available Today Are Not
Used by the Customer |
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Not Because the Services Are Not Useful |
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But Because They Are Too Difficult or
Awkward for the Customer to Manage or Operate |
Problems with Current
Approaches
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Designer-Centered v. Customer-Centered Organization |
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Services Designed from the Call-Model
Up v. from the Customer View Down |
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Service Management Is a ‘Window’ into
the Service Implementation |
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Emphasis on Procedural Implementation
v. Declarative Functionality of the Service |
Designer-Centered v.
Customer-Centered
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A Simple Implementation Example |
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Currently Manage Lists of Numbers |
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Maps Naturally to the Service
Designer’s Solution |
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Should Manage lists of Parties, i.e.,
Names |
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To Whom Telephone Numbers, Email ID’s,
etc. May Be Associated |
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‘Phonebook’ of ALL Customer Contacts |
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Customer & Problem Centered
Implementation Approach |
Problems with Current
Approaches
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Duplication v. Synergism of Service
Information |
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Each Service Designed Independently of
All Others |
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Need of the Same or Complementary
Information by Multiple Services |
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Example — a Number Added to One Service
List Must Be Removed from Another |
Synergism of Service
Information
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Customer Information Should Be Entered
& Managed |
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In Customer’s Problem-Centered Terms |
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One Logical Time [One Place] Only |
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In a Consistent Manner [Whatever the
UI] |
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Independent of: |
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Which, How Many, or What Types of
Services Are Subscribed |
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Which Do or Could Depend Upon that
Information |
Top-Level Service
Management & Delivery
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Information & Processing |
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Customer-Specific |
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Service Subscription |
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Customer Context |
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Service Context |
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AIN System-Specific |
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Service Description |
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Service Management |
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Service Control Loop |
Top-Level Service
Management & Delivery
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Administration Manager [AM] |
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Controls Customer’s Modification &
Management of Information |
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To Maximize Benefit of Positive Feature
Interactions, |
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To Minimize Negative Interactions |
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Feature Manager [FM] |
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Controls & Manages Real-Time
Execution of the Customer’s Services |
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As Configured by the Customer’s AM |
Customer-Centered
Profiles
Customer Service Profile:
Spreadsheet Form
Far-Reaching Consequences
of this Design
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Customer-Centered Service Management |
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User Interface Synergism |
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User Information Synergism |
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Normalized Information & Processing |
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Symbolic Declarative Information |
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Flexible Intelligent Processing
Strategy |
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Information Abstraction &
Late-Binding |
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Feature Interaction & Negotiation
Management |
Customer-Centered Service
Management
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The Customer Uses Terms that Are
Meaningful to Him |
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To Interact with Service Management |
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To Organize and Manage Information |
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At a Declarative Problem-Statement
Level |
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Independent of the Procedural
Implementations of those Services |
User Interface Synergism
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Consistent ‘Look-n-Feel’ Across All
User Interfaces & Paradigms |
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Symbolic Label — Multiple Interface
Representations |
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e.g., Textual ‘Family,’ Verbal ‘Family,’ & Icon ‘Family’ |
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Traditional DTMF, PC, GUI Interfaces |
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Multi-Lingual Natural Language
Interfaces |
User Information
Synergism
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All Customer-Providable Information
Should Be Entered & Managed |
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In Customer-Centered Terms |
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In a Consistent Manner Independent of
UI |
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Once — per Item Update |
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Independent of |
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Which, How Many, or What Types of
Services Are Subscribed |
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Which Do or Could Depend Upon that
Information |
Normalized Information
& Processing
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Vertically Normalize the Management of
Each Synergized Information Type |
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Encapsulate the Representation &
Processing of Each Information Type |
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Plug-n-Play Model of Information
Management and Usage |
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The Management & Use of Each Type
of Plug-n-Play Information Is a Distinct Subscribable Capability |
Symbolic Declarative
Information
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Symbolic Entities & Statements |
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Independent of Their Underlying
Representations and Implementations |
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Express What Service Behavior or
Activity Is Desired by the Customer |
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Problem-Centered Rather than
Solution-Centered |
Flexible Intelligent
Processing Strategy
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Symbolic Declarative Representation |
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Neutral to Specific Service Features |
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Provides Basis for Unlimited
Flexibility |
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Applied to Many Different Applications |
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Utilized in Different Ways [Purposes]
under Different Circumstances |
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Only the Customer’s ‘What’ Is Specified |
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‘When’ & ‘How’ Resolution Are
Determined by the Network |
Information Abstraction
& Late Binding
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Applicable to ALL Network Elements |
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Horizontal Layers of Abstraction |
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Symbolic Information at Each Layer |
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Declarative Abstraction [Model] of
Processing [Procedures] of Lower Layers |
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Different [Real-Time] Circumstances |
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Applicable to Different Requirements |
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Mapped to Different Procedural
Realizations |
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Information Abstraction = Service
Capability Reuse |
Feature Interaction &
Negotiation
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General Service Execution |
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Customer Contexts = Preferences |
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FM Heuristically Selects Service
Context |
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Better Matches Customer Preferences |
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Is Compatible with System States and
Capabilities |
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FM Utilizes Customer & System
Preferences |
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Negotiate Behavior to Be Delivered |
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Provide Acceptable Behavior to Involved
Parties |
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Meaningful Degradation of Services |
Far-Reaching Consequences
of this Design
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Customer-Centered Service Management |
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User Interface Synergism |
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User Information Synergism |
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Normalized Information & Processing |
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Symbolic Declarative Information |
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Flexible Intelligent Processing
Strategy |
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Information Abstraction &
Late-Binding |
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Feature Interaction & Negotiation
Management |
Customer-Centered Service
Management
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The Customer Uses Terms that Are Meaningful
to Him |
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To Interact with Service Management |
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To Organize and Manage Information |
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At a Declarative Problem-Statement
Level |
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Independent of the Procedural
Implementations of those Services |
Customer-Centered Service
Management
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Customer-Meaningful Terminology —
Information Abstraction |
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Customer-Defined Terms |
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Examples — ‘OfficeHours,’ ‘MyOffice,’ ‘Family,’
‘DoNotDisturb,’ ‘InMeeting’ |
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System-Defined Terms |
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Examples — ‘TeleMail,’ ‘MailBox,’ ‘Alert,’ ‘Busy,’ ‘ForwardCall’ |
Customer-Meaningful
Terminology
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Only Declarative Statements of What the
Customer’s Problem Is |
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No Procedural Statements of How to
Achieve a Solution |
Customer-Centered Label
System
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Facilitate Customer-Centered Management
of Services |
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Assignment of Logical Names for Easy
Reference & Recall |
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Abstract User Interface Information
from Its Underlying Representations |
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Symbolic Rather than Direct Manipulation
of Information |
Customer-Centered =
Problem-Centered
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Customer’s Service Problems |
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Specification of Service Context and
Behavior Should Remain Consistent |
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Customer’s Problem Statement Should Be Invariant
to Service Designer’s Solutions |
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Service Designer’s Solutions |
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AIN Call-Models. etc. Will Evolve, and
Implementations Will Be Modified |
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Mappings of Problems to Solutions |
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Re-Interpreted, Re-Evaluated, Updated |
Customer Service Profile:
Spreadsheet Form
Far-Reaching Consequences
of this Design
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Customer-Centered Service Management |
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User Interface Synergism |
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User Information Synergism |
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Normalized Information & Processing |
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Symbolic Declarative Information |
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Flexible Intelligent Processing
Strategy |
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Information Abstraction &
Late-Binding |
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Feature Interaction & Negotiation
Management |
User Interface Synergism
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Consistent ‘Look-n-Feel’ Across All
User Interfaces & Paradigms |
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Symbolic Label — Multiple Interface
Representations |
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e.g., Textual ‘Family,’ Verbal ‘Family,’ & Icon ‘Family’ |
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Traditional DTMF, PC, GUI Interfaces |
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Multi-Lingual Natural Language
Interfaces |
Consistency Across All
User Interfaces
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Support Multiple User Interfaces |
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Multiple Access Methods Supported |
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Examples — DTMF, Voice-Activation, ADSI
Terminal, Windows PC, Macintosh |
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Extendible as New UI’s Are Developed |
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Example — Icons for GUI’s for PC’s,
& PIC’s for Video Phones PC’s |
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All Interfaces Are Created Equal |
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Example — Configurable F5 Key on a PC
Matched with Configurable #5 of DTMF Phone |
Consistency Across All
Interfaces
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Pseudo-Natural Language |
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Interface-Neutral Interaction Model |
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Provides Framework for Customer
Expression |
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User-Specific Grammar & Vocabulary |
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Subscribed Service Capabilities Define
Domain of Permissible Statement Types |
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Mappable to Each User Interface |
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Consistent Navigation Rules Across
DTMF, IVR’s, PC Menu’s, etc. |
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Encapsulatable in other Applications |
Example Usage of the
Label System
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English-like Natural-Language UI |
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Add Johnny to Friends |
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New Individual MyFax 214-718-6398 |
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If Work And RcvFax, Then Fwd2 MyFax And
Page MyPager |
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New Service MailPage Is VoiceMail And
Page |
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If Boss And TimeOut, Then MailPage MyVMail
And MyPager |
Example Usage of the
Label System
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Spanish-like Natural-Language UI |
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Anadir Juan A Amigos |
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Persona Nueva MiFax 214-718-6398 |
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Si Trabajo Y RcvFax Entonces Transferir
MyFax Y Page MiBeeper |
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Servicio Nuevo CorreoBeeper Es Correo
Audio Y Beeper |
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Si Jefe Y TempoExpirar Entonces CorreoBeeper
MiCorreoAudio Y MiBeeper |
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by Ricardo A. Negrette |
Label-Centered =
Customer-Centered
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Focal Point of Customer Interaction’s
with & Management of Services |
Far-Reaching Consequences
of this Design
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Customer-Centered Service Management |
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User Interface Synergism |
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User Information Synergism |
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Normalized Information & Processing |
|
Symbolic Declarative Information |
|
Flexible Intelligent Processing
Strategy |
|
Information Abstraction &
Late-Binding |
|
Feature Interaction & Negotiation
Management |
User Information
Synergism
|
|
|
|
|
|
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All Customer-Providable Information
Should Be Entered & Managed |
|
In Customer-Centered Terms |
|
In a Consistent Manner Independent of
UI |
|
Once [per Item Update] |
|
|
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Independent of |
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Which, How Many, or What Types of
Services Are Subscribed |
|
Which Do or Could Depend Upon that
Information |
Customer-Centered
Information Synergism
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Customer-Centered Organization of
Information |
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Much Customer-Entered Information May
Be Applicable to Many Services |
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Express Such Information in a Service-Neutral
Manner |
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Apply this Information Consistently to
Provision All the Customer’s Services |
Customer-Centered
Information Synergism
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Customer PIM -- Personal Information Manager |
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Customer Context Profile — Contains
Customer-Defined Information |
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Identifies -- Who, When, Where, Why |
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Customer Content Profile — [Futuristic] |
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Content Attributes -- FAX, Movie,
E-Mail |
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Service Context Profile — Associates
this Information with Subscribed Services |
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What to Do — Whenever, Whoever,
Whatever |
Customer-Centered
Profiles
Far-Reaching Consequences
of this Design
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Customer-Centered Service Management |
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User Interface Synergism |
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User Information Synergism |
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Normalized Information & Processing |
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Symbolic Declarative Information |
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Flexible Intelligent Processing
Strategy |
|
Information Abstraction &
Late-Binding |
|
Feature Interaction & Negotiation
Management |
Normalized Information
& Processing
|
|
|
|
Vertically Normalize the Management of
Each Synergized Information Type |
|
Encapsulate the Representation &
Processing of Each Information Type |
|
Plug-n-Play Model of Information
Management and Usage |
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The Management & Use of Each Type
of Plug-n-Play Information Is a Distinct Subscribable Capability |
Independent Information
Capabilities
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Examples of Independent Information
Types |
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Temporal — Daytimer |
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Personal — Phonebook |
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Customer State — ‘Involved,’ ‘Leisure’ |
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Content — Voicemail & Email
Messages, Multi-Media Data Streams |
Service-Driven v.
Capability-Driven
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Traditional Service-Driven View |
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Tight [Hardcoded] Integration of
Service Interdependences by Service Designer |
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Blurring of Independent Capabilities
within the Application Service |
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Object-Model Is one of Inheritance |
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White-Box Interdependences |
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NOT Plug-n-Play |
Service-Driven v.
Capability-Driven
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New Capabilities-Driven View |
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Independent Building-Blocks from Which |
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Customer May Customize Desired Service
Behavior |
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Object-Model Is One of Delegation |
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Black-Box Independences |
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Use Plug-n-Play Capabilities |
SIB’s Service Independent
Building Blocks
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SIC’s -- Service Independent
Capabilities |
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Example -- the DayTimer Is Completely
Independent of the PhoneBook |
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Plug-n-Play Capabilities |
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One DayTimer Interchangeable for
Another |
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Independent of All other Customer
Chosen Capabilities and Services |
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Brand-Name v. Generic Implementations
of Capabilities |
Customer Service Profile:
Spreadsheet Form
Far-Reaching Consequences
of this Design
|
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Customer-Centered Service Management |
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User Interface Synergism |
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User Information Synergism |
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Normalized Information & Processing |
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Symbolic Declarative Information |
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Flexible Intelligent Processing
Strategy |
|
Information Abstraction &
Late-Binding |
|
Feature Interaction & Negotiation
Management |
Symbolic Declarative
Information
|
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Symbolic Entities & Statements |
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Independent of Their Underlying
Representations and Implementations |
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Express What Service Behavior or
Activity Is Desired by the Customer |
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Problem-Centered Rather than
Solution-Centered |
Phone Number = Telephony
Symbol
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Phone Number Is a Universal Symbol |
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Has Multiple Implementations |
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Rotary Dialer, Touch-Tone Keypad |
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Pulse-Dialed, DTMF, etc. |
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BCD-encoded, ASCII-string, Binary, etc. |
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Overloaded for Multiple Meanings |
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Caller-ID -- Who Is Calling, NOT What
Device |
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800, 500-like Services, ‘500-CALL-GTE’ |
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Black-Box Processing by the Network |
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Has Universal Meaning to the User |
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Extending the Set of
Telephony Symbols
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One Number Corresponds to One Symbolic
Statement |
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No Longer Rich Enough User Interface |
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Extension of Telephony Symbolics |
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IF Nancy CALLS, DURING WorkHours, SEND2 Secretary |
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DURING WorkHours, IF Nancy CALLS, SEND2 Secretary |
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SEND2 Secretary, DURING WorkHours, IF Nancy CALLS |
Declarative v. Procedural
Knowledge
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Declarative Knowledge |
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Encoded in Passive Data Structures |
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Distinct from the Procedures that
Implement that Knowledge |
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Procedural Knowledge |
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Encapsulated, or Compiled, into the
Procedures that Implement It |
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Ultimately — a Trade-off |
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What to Encode & What to Compile ? |
A Better Knowledge
Paradigm
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Bi-Model Knowledge |
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Incremental Compilation of Knowledge |
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Duality — Compiled & Interpreted
Forms |
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One-to-Many — One Declaration May Have
Many Procedural Implementations |
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Analogies of this Paradigm |
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Floating-Point in Hardware &
Software |
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Object-Code & Source Code Libraries |
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Plug-n-Play Components (H/W & S/W) |
Declarative Customer
Service Context
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Symbolic Interpretation of Meaning |
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Independent of the Implementations of
these Symbolic Entities |
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‘DURING WorkHours’ Is Independent of
the Implementation of the Customer’s Daytimer |
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Customer’s Desires Are Preserved |
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BUT No Longer Hardcoded [Bound] to a
Particular Implementation or Technology |
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The Network Intelligently Understands |
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& Processes the Customer’s Desires |
Customer Service Profile:
Spreadsheet Form
Symbolic Abstract
Reasoning
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Symbolic Analysis of the Spreadsheet
Form of the Service Context Profile |
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Independent of their Implementations |
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Five Service Contexts Share the Common
Time Period: ‘Office’ |
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Two Involve the Customer State: ‘Lunch’ |
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Three Involve the System State: ‘Busy’ |
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One Each Are Particular to the ‘Boss’
& the ‘Secretary’ |
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The Other Defaults to ‘ANY’ [*]
Customer State & Calling Party |
Far-Reaching Consequences
of this Design
|
|
|
Customer-Centered Service Management |
|
User Interface Synergism |
|
User Information Synergism |
|
Normalized Information & Processing |
|
Symbolic Declarative Information |
|
Flexible Intelligent Processing
Strategy |
|
Information Abstraction &
Late-Binding |
|
Feature Interaction & Negotiation
Management |
Flexible Intelligent
Processing Strategy
|
|
|
|
|
Symbolic Declarative Representation |
|
Neutral to Specific Service Features |
|
Provides Basis for Unlimited Flexibility |
|
Applied to Many Different Applications |
|
Utilized in Different Ways [Purposes]
under Different Circumstances |
|
Only the Customer’s ‘What’ Is Specified |
|
‘When’ & ‘How’ Resolution Are
Performed by the Network |
Domains of Intelligent
Flexibility
|
|
|
|
Parallel & Distributed Processing |
|
Facilitated by the Normalization of
Information Types |
|
Static Analysis & Feedback |
|
Select Specific Processing Strategies |
|
Directed Real-Time Processing |
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to Yield a Better Performance |
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Fault-Tolerant Behavior |
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Real-Time Re-Evaluation &
Adaptation |
Support of Parallel
Distributed Processing
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Facilitated by the Normalization of
Information Types |
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Daytimer, Phonebook, Customer States,
System States, etc. |
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Are Independently Managed |
|
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Service Context Profile Maintains Their
Factored Nature |
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They May Be Processed in Parallel |
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The Results from One Area Can Focus
Processing of the Others |
Static Analysis &
Feedback Adaptation
|
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Analysis & Feedback Source &
Usage |
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Feedback from Billing & Usage
Systems for Prediction of Future Expected Use |
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Adapt to [Learn] the Customer’s Preferences |
|
Capture Implicit Customer
Characteristics |
|
[This Is Applicable to Marketing ! ] |
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Organize Profile Information -- Improve
Real-Time Performance & Customer Satisfaction |
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Consider Most Likely [to Occur] |
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Consider [Customer] Preferred Cases |
Directed Real-Time
Processing
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Many Possible Real-Time Strategies |
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Compile Integrated Customer-Specific
Decision-Graphs |
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from Static Analysis & Declarative
Customer Service Management |
|
Compile Each Capability Independently |
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Daytimer Distinct from Phonebook, etc. |
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General Rule-Engine Compile |
|
Compile Symbolic Links |
|
Real-Time Variations of RETE, TREAT,
etc. |
Real-Time Compilation
Strategies
|
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Procedural Compilation |
|
Compiles the Information Along with Its
Representation |
|
Suppresses Original Symbolic Knowledge |
|
Artificially Reorganizes &
Restructures |
|
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Declarative Compilation |
|
Compiles the Representation But NOT the
Information |
|
Preserves Original Symbolic Knowledge |
|
Natural Factorization -- an Example |
INC-2 Service
Specification
INC-2 Service
Specification
INC-2 Service
Specification
INC-2 Service
Specification
Far-Reaching Consequences
of this Design
|
|
|
Customer-Centered Service Management |
|
User Interface Synergism |
|
User Information Synergism |
|
Normalized Information & Processing |
|
Symbolic Declarative Information |
|
Flexible Intelligent Processing
Strategy |
|
Information Abstraction &
Late-Binding |
|
Feature Interaction & Negotiation
Management |
Information Abstraction
& Late Binding
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Applicable to ALL Network Elements |
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Horizontal Layers of Abstraction |
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Symbolic Information at Each Layer |
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Declarative Abstraction [Model] of
Processing [Procedures] of Lower Layers |
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Different [Real-Time] Circumstances |
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Applicable to Different Requirements |
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Mapped to Different Procedural
Realizations |
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Information Abstraction = Service
Capability Reuse |
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Run-Time Rather than Compiled Reuse |
Bi-Model Layers of
Abstraction
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Information Duality of Each Layer of
Abstraction -- Recursive Downward |
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Encoded Declarative Self-Knowledge |
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Compiled Procedural Functionality |
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Bi-Model Functionality |
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Incremental Compilation of Knowledge |
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Natural Factorization |
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One-to-Many |
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One Declarative Description May Map to |
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Many Possible Procedural
Implementations |
Information Abstraction
& Late Binding
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Realization of Symbolic Information |
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Subject to Real-Time Circumstances |
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Evolves in Response to Changes by
Customer or Technology |
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Example: ‘Alert Loud’ & ‘Alert Quiet’ |
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Dependent upon Available Resources |
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Buzzing Beeper v.
Blinking Screen |
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Dependent on Customer Circumstances |
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Hearing Impaired, Personal Preferences |
Service Description
Profile
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Comprehensive Declarative View |
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AIN System Features & Capabilities |
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Their Applicability [Heuristics] to
Various Categories of Customer Problems |
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Example: |
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Active Alerting -- Providable by
Distinctive Ringing, Paging, Character Generator [TV] |
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Passive Alerting -- Providable by
Email, Voicemail, Distinctive Dial Tone |
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Caller Identification -- Providable by
ANI, PIN, VoicePrint, Retina Scan |
Service Management
Profile
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Declarative to Procedural Mapping |
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Associates Declaratively Described
Features & Capabilities |
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Their Procedural Realizations in the
AIN |
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Specific Platforms, Specific Resources, Specific Conditions, etc. |
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Example: Access to [Support for] |
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Distinctive Ringing? Paging ?
Email ? ANI ? Voicemail ? Distinctive Dial Tone ? PIN ? |
The Various Context
Profiles
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Information Consists of Symbolic
Patterns |
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Meanings May Be Directly Determined |
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e.g., Resolution of ‘WorkHours,’
‘MyFamily’ |
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Meanings May Be Indirectly Inferred |
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e.g., Inference of ‘Alert Loud,’ ‘Alert
Quietly,’ ‘ID-Caller’ |
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Heuristics May Be Applied to Deduce
Secondary Relationships |
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e.g., Preference to More Specific
Context |
Intelligent Entities —
Self-Awareness
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An Intelligent Entity Understands Its
Functions |
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Can Evaluate Alternate Approaches |
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Can Explain Itself — Intentions &
Actions |
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Compiled Automatic [Routine] Responses |
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Can Innovate — Adapt & Apply
Non-Routine Approaches |
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Guided By Heuristics — ‘Rules of Thumb’
about General Approaches, etc. |
Normal v. Abnormal
Circumstances
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General Processing Heuristics |
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Under Normal Circumstances |
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Behavior Delivered as Requested |
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Compiled Procedural Approaches |
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Self-Knowledge May Not Be Needed |
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Under Abnormal Circumstances |
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Behavior NOT Delivered as Requested |
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Feature Interaction & Negotiation
Mgt — Intelligently Provide Acceptable Behavior |
Far-Reaching Consequences
of this Design
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Customer-Centered Service Management |
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User Interface Synergism |
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User Information Synergism |
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Normalized Information & Processing |
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Symbolic Declarative Information |
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Flexible Intelligent Processing
Strategy |
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Information Abstraction &
Late-Binding |
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Feature Interaction & Negotiation
Management |
Feature Interaction &
Negotiation
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General Service Execution |
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Customer Contexts = Preferences |
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FM Heuristically Selects Service
Context |
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Better Matches Customer Preferences |
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Is Compatible with System States and
Capabilities |
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FM’s Utilize Customers’ & Systems’ Preferences |
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Negotiate Behavior to Be Delivered |
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Provide Acceptable Behavior to Involved
Parties |
Undesirable Feature
Interactions
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Single-Customer Interactions |
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Example: Call-Forwarding v.
Call-Waiting |
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Solution: Provide Capability to Identify Preferences for Different
Contexts |
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Result: Interaction => Coordination |
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Multi-Customer Interactions |
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Example: Caller-ID v.
Call-Blocking |
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Solution: Provide Capability to
Negotiate Acceptable Compromises |
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Result: Impasse => Negotiation |
Negotiation — Defined
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Negotiation — Iterative Process |
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Announcement — Pose Need to Other
Entities |
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Bid — Receive Offers from Responders |
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Award — Accept Best Offer of Assistance |
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Variations in the Process |
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Counter-Offers |
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Teaming & Coordination |
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Subcontracting — Secondary Negotiations |
Negotiation
Characteristics
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Fundamental Components |
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Exchange of Information |
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Evaluation of Exchanged Information |
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Final Agreement |
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Preparation for Negotiation |
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Absolute Bounds |
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Compromise Fall-Back Positions |
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Evaluation Criteria |
Examples of Negotiation
in the Network
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Types of Simple Negotiation |
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Credit-Card Calling — Trust Me ! |
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Collect Calling — Will You Accept ? |
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Person-to-Person — No One But You ! |
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Cellular Roaming Plans |
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Parties Involved in Negotiation |
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Between Calling Parties |
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Between Calling Party & the Network |
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Between Networks |
Multi-Customer Feature
Negotiation
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Goal of this Process |
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Secure Acceptable Service Behavior |
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As Satisfactory As Possible |
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Avoid Behaviors Unsatisfactory in
Context |
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Criteria: Behavior, Quality, Cost, etc. |
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Leverage Concepts Previously Discussed |
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Symbolic Declarative Constructs of
Customer’s Service Administration |
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Self-Knowledge Incorporated within AIN
Features & Capabilities |
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Feature Manager =>
Negotiation Agent |
Negotiation
Infrastructure
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Symbolic Declarative Taxonomies |
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Customer Requirements |
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Privacy, Alerting, Security |
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AIN Feature & Capabilities |
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Call-Blocking, Caller-ID, PIN-Screening |
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Associate Requirements &
Capabilities |
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Privacy => Call-Blocking |
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Alerting => Caller-ID |
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Security => PIN-Screening |
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Negotiation
Infrastructure
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Taxonomies & Cross-Reference
Requirements |
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Should Reflect Logical Patterns |
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From Abstract Generic to Concete
Specific |
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Alert,
Alert Quietly, Alert Quietly
w/ Pager LCD, ... |
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Acquaintances, Friends, Close Friends, Johnny |
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Directly v. Analogously [Heuristically]
Related |
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Messaging [Email] Is a Form of Passive
Alerting |
Feature Negotiation
Heuristics
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Satisfy the Request |
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At a Level of Specificity >= the
Request |
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At a Level of Specificity < the
Request |
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Based on a Subset of the Request |
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Based on Economical [Cost, Resource,
etc.] Generalization of Solution |
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Based on Any Generalization of Solution |
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Based on Any Generalization of Request |
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... |
Feature Negotiation =>
Mediated Access
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Inter-SCP Feature Negotiation Between
the Customer’s Resident SCP & that at the POP |
Current Development of
this AIN System
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Have Developed Prototypes & Demos |
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Customer-Specific Components |
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Realty World |
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Have Developed Requirements for the Commercial
Versions |
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Incrementally Incorporate These
Concepts |
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Commercialization of Realty World |
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Currently Implementing Systems |
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GTE Developed; R&D w/ ISCP &
AI-Net |
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Telecom’95 in Geneva, Switzerland |
Future Goals &
Developments
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Ubiquitous Application of these
Customer-Centered Design Concepts |
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Re-Engineering of the Total Service
Delivery Process |
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Service Marketing |
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Service Management |
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Service Creation |
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Service Execution |
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Support Functions |