WO2000055787A2 - System for an on-line telecommunications search engine and marketplace - Google Patents

Abstract

A web-based/Internet system that serves as a search engine/source for any information related to the Telecommunications Industry, and also as an e-commerce site. The invention includes information on: (1) products, (2) services, (3) system solutions, (4) requests for proposals, (5) posted tenders, (6) financing plans, (7) news related to investments, telecommunications regulations, and product news, (8) job postings, (9) telecommunications and networking companies, (10) educational material [white papers, technical Q & A], and (11) purchase products. The invention provides a comprehensive site and marketplace for the telecommunications industry. This invention presents an improved and unbiased methodology for product and service comparison. It has created a normalized database for every telecommunications product and service. The database is segmented into partitions for each individual vendor, service provider, system integrator and university. Thereby giving each participant ownership and proprietary control over the data contained within the site. The invention puts forth a methodology/tool, the Virtual RFP, that will allow prospective buyers of telecommunications products or related services to make a request for proposals via the internet, whereby service subscribers can view the request and electronically respond back through the system. Thus, giving an efficient, paper-less process for soliciting and offering telecommunications products and services.

Description

SYSTEM FOR AN ON-LINE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SEARCH ENGINE AND MARKETPLACE

BACKGROUND

1. Field Of The Invention

The present invention relates to a system and unique processes (search capability, database normalization, etc ) for presenting information related to the field of telecommunications and where applicable pro\ ιde a manner whereby the customer can purchase products or services via the Internet Specifically, the invention also includes the "Virtual FP " The Virtual RFP is a service by which the customer can create an on-line request for proposals information, or quotes from vaπous "vendors" - - equipment manufacturers, service providers and system integrators, for telecommunications and services.

2. Description of the Related Art

Currently, Information Technology (IT) professionals and even the everyday consumer are presented with vast amounts of information regarding telecommunications products and services Moreover, the information presented is often hard to find and understand Vendors do not agree upon a common set of terms or phrases to describe the same set of features and specifications of their product Thereby, making it difficult for a "consumer^* to make an educated and well-informed decision Traditionally, the only way such information could be obtained was through a process of initial inquiry, followed by phone calls, an eventual meeting and the provision of some documented information that does not include much detail with respect to functionality and specifications

On the other hand, should the user be successful m finding information relevant or useful to what they seek, there is still the question of objectivity Several manufacturers even compare their products with those of their competition However, it can be said with some degree of certainty that the compaπson is not done from the perspectπ e of an independent authority Oftentimes the compaπson is between a model and those that are not of the same performance le el or function set Moreover, the genuine perception ot the user is jaded towards a company conducting a comparison and illustrating that its product or service is supeπoi The need exists for an independent information brokei where a lev el forum ("playing field") can be established and a compaπson w here products are put side by side in similar categories (the proverbial "apples to apples^" and "oranges to oranges^")

Vendors also face sev eral challenges m trying to find other vendors that meet their needs A typical example is an equipment manufacturer trying to find a system integrator that can install and maintain equipment that they have sold to a customer Another challenge faced bv v endors is the fact that many vendors, particularly equipment manufacturers sell their products through re-sellers Oftentimes, these resellers do not keep the most up to date information w ith respect to product line Furthermore, to the dismay of manufacturers, resellers will sell equipment no longer manufactured or supported by a endor This impacts both sides of the supply chain in that consumers are left with a now obsolete product and the manufacturer is now not viewed favorably by the consumer for future considerations Vendors strongly desire to have control over their product offering to the public with precise accuracy

Vendors are also constantly stπving to educate existing and potential customers on new technologies, specific product and service offerings The benefit to the vendor is the positive public relations generated in showing an interest to educate the consumer In addition, a greater product, and more importantiv , brand awareness is generated, whereby potentially new customers, markets, and business leads can be found

The search for new customers, markets, business leads, and rev enue is the continuous mission for v endors This is especially true for equipment manufacturers who are constantly looking for new markets As has happened with other segments of today^'s world, the Internet has offered a method for manufacturers to achiev e this lattei objective The most v ivid example of this effort is the direct sales and lead channel model established by Dell R Computer Corporation Most manufacturers have yet to establish such a direct channel and are looking for other a enues via re-sellers or other entities Vendors hav e proceeded to de elop W orld W^τιde Web ("W eb^") sites w here customers could obtain information in response to the promise that the Internet holds Initially, it was env isioned that the Internet in conjunction with a Web site ould be the ans ei This hope was even further heightened ith the development and proliferation ot sophisticated search engines like ahoo' s . AltaVista™. Lycos &. and IntoseekE

For a variety of reasons, this approach has not worked Included amongst these reasons is the fact that vendors still control w hat information they wish to share This includes the prevailing condition w here no set standard of terms and descπptions exists or has been agreed upon Furthermore, manv of the web sites that hav e been constiucted bv the v endors for the purposes of public/inv estor relations Thus, making it time consuming for potential "customers^" (System Integrators Re-sellers, Consumers") to find any information relativ e to the product they are seeking

The promise of the search engine has also failed for similar reasons The premise behind the search engine is its first shortcoming in that it is focused on a key word withm a Web page or site This can generate results that are misleading in that it will take the seeker to a page that is marginally related to the specific item the user is seeking Similarly, a limitation inherent to such search engines is that the results will often lead to "dead" or "old" links, whereby a user will be sent to a Web location no longer in existence Thereby furtheπng delaying the process and heightening user frustration

The last challenge has been when a user has specific requirements and mav be familiar with technologies and their requirements but has to actually either acquire the products or services that matches their needs In most instances, this is not the case The end-user has only a general idea of w hat they wish to acquire, and the process involv ed can be tedious, time-consuming, and cumbersome In many instances, both end user and producfservice providers hav e to deal with some form of a third partv

These and other drawbacks exist

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present in ention to solve these and other draw backs with existing systems It is another object of the present inv ention to provide a svstem and its native processes that can solve the multitude of challenges faced by users and v endors

It is another object of the present inv ention to provide a fast, easy to access, and easv to use svstem for enabling users and v endois to meet This inv ention is the single solution to all these challenges by presenting a

Internet based site where users can obtain detailed specifications on products and services The invention provides a fast and efficient manner where users can obtain detailed specifics regarding specific telecommunications products and services, and system integrators In particular, the search engine bungs the information together in a matter of minutes The average time to displav product information m a side by side comparison is 1 minute (dependent upon the total volume of traffic on the Internet) Moreover, it presents the information via a normalized template here like is compared to like The information contained is neutral, since in that every product/ service withm the invention is controlled by the respective vendor The invention also provides the first effective manner where a user can find a product or service that meets their specific needs The invention accomplishes this by allowing the user to answer specific key questions that are universal to all products or services withm a category Again, the average time required to find a number of products is 1 minute The user is allowed to constantly refine their search until they find a product or service that meets their needs

In both of the abov e instances the invention displays detailed information of the selected products Furthermore, the invention contains manners by which the user can go directly to the respective vendors Web page for the specific product The distinct factor is that the information presented is independent of any vendor influence and that the user can make a well-informed decision in a very short time all from the convenience of access to the Internet

The invention also provides a way for v endors to meet their needs The invention provides a system for manufacturers to directly market only those products that thev wish to either promote oi currently support Theieby eliminating the possibility ot marketing and offering to consumers discontinued products

The inv ention also provides a manner where vendors can educate the public by providing a mechanism here v endors can place their "white papers^" on the invention platform "White Papeis^" are short topical reports that explain new 01 emerging technologies and then applications Within the same platform vendors can post "System Solutions w hich present their respectiv e solutions to challenges faced by particular industries This aspect of the invention also ser es the purpose of generating brand aw areness and establishing customer relations

The inv ention also accomplishes the objectiv e of identifying new customers, establishing new maiketing channels, and generating sales leads The system according to the present inv ention thereby provides a new marketing channel for vendors, enabling them to extend their efforts in establishing 01 augmenting their Internet sales channel v ia the use of banner ads and promotional areas contained withm the inventions format that appears to the user Moreover, w hen the customer performs the product comparison or search function the option to "purchase" the product is provided to the user The "purchase" is either the option to buy directly or result in a sales lead for the vendor that the inv ention provides electronically The invention accomplishes the last goal of confining the entire process and facilitating direct contact between the entity (individual, group, organization, etc ) seeking to acquire products or services and the vendors that provide them The invention provides an easy to use interface via the Web whereby a "buyer" with specific needs or just a general idea can generate a request for proposal that is sent directly to all vendors who participate in this service The "Virtual RFP" bπngs the buyer directly to the v endor and vice versa via the Internet Furthermore, the process can be done entirelv free of paper thereby facilitating the efforts of many to move towards a paper-less work environment

Another feature ot the present invention is that it facilitates direct interface between the buyer and the provider and opening a direct sales/lead generator channel The "Posted Tenders^" feature allows a buyer to post a document with specific requirements and needs that the vendors can retπev e and subsequently bid on

The invention also provides four services that benefit both the consumer and the vendor The invention contains a function where any user on the site including non-IT professionals can find a degree in or related to the field of Telecommunications This includes Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, and related fields for degrees at all levels The invention also includes a job posting board w here both parties can search and post job openings The inv ention also includes an acronym and definition feature for all telecommunications related terms Fmallv , a technical question and answer service is provided w here any user can post a technical question for any user accessing this feature and hopefully obtain an answer The invention also prov ides several other serv ices to all In this aspect the invention serves pπmaπly as an information source that is conv enient to all users Included m this feature are new s services related to telecommunications law. technology and business, stock quotes, an index of all telecommunications, and networking companies It also includes a stock quote and portfolio function Both the news services and portfolio feature w ill include the ability to be customized as part of a larger scheme where the user can customize the features and settings of the invention to their individual preferences

Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention may be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon reviewing the following detailed description of the invention

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG 1 is a high lev el illustration of the input process where the customer in this case is a vendor w ho wishes to add their product service line to the invention, where the vendor logs in v ia the Internet and has sole access and control over their partition within the database

FIG 2 is a process flow diagram showing the options presented to the end-user via the home page, with each potential action bv the user takes them to a separate or seπes of actions FIG 3 is a schematic branching from FIG 2 where the user has decided to compare products, and concerns the steps, methods, and actions for compaπng products

FIG 4 is a schematic branching from FIG 2 w here the user has decided to find products, and concerns the steps, methods, and actions for finding products FIG 5 is a schematic branching from FIG 2 where the user has decided to find a telecommunications related degree, and concerns the steps, methods, and actions foi finding a degree

FIG 6 is a schematic branching from FIG 2 where the user has decided find a ]ob. and concerns the steps, methods, and actions for finding, posting, and responding to )ob inquiries

FIG 7 is a schematic branching from FIG 2 where the user has decided to examine v arious financing plans offered by endors, and concerns the steps, methods, and actions for examining vendor finance plans FIG 8 is a schematic branching from FIG 2 where the user (specifically a v endor) has decided to retrieve and subsequently reply to a posted tender, and concerns the steps, methods, and actions for retπev ing posted tenders

FIG 9 is a schematic branching from FIG 2 where the user has decided to obtain news related to the stock market, and concerns the steps, methods, and actions for obtaining stock market information including quotes, summary of user portfolios, and market related news

FIG 10 is a schematic branching from FIG 2 where the user has decided to read news articles related to telecommunications regulations and law, and concerns the steps, methods, and actions tor reading such news FIG 1 1 is a schematic branching from FIG 2 where the user has decided to read press releases from telecommunications companies, and concerns the steps. methods, and actions for reading press releases

FIG 12 is a schematic branching from FIG 2 where the user has decided to read news articles related to technology specifically related to telecommunications, and concerns the steps, methods, and actions for reading such news

FIG 13 is a schematic branching from FIG 2 where the user has decided to look up an acronym and its definition, and concerns the steps, methods, and actions for acronym lookup.

FIG 14 is a schematic branching from FIG 2 w here the user has decided to obtain a listing of telecommunications and networking companies, and concerns the steps, methods, and actions for finding companies FIG 1 5 is a schematic branching from FIG 2 where the user has decided to find white papets related to telecommunications topics, and concerns the steps, methods and actions toi acquiring these papers

FIG 16 is a schematic branching from FIG 2 w here the user has decided to entei the technical question and answer area for the purposes of exchanging ideas intoπnation, and concerns the steps, methods, and actions for entering this area

FIG 1 7 is a schematic branching from FIG 2 where the user has clicked on a bannei adv ertisement, and concerns the steps, methods, and actions when a user takes this action FIG 18 is a schematic branching from FIG 2 w here the user has clicked on a promotion and concerns the steps, methods, and actions when a user takes this action

FIG 19 is a schematic branching from FIG 2 where the user (vendor'u v ersity) has decided to log m or register with the service, and concerns the steps, method, and actions for logging in FIG 20 is a schematic branching from FIG 19 where the user has decided to sign-in and perform product entry and maintenance (enter, copv. delete, and edit), and concerns the steps, methods, and actions for product action

FIG 21 is a schematic branching from FIG 20 where the user has decided to enter a new product/service, and concerns the steps, methods, and actions for enteπng products

FIG 22 is a schematic branching from FIG 20 where the user has decided to edit an existing product/service, and concerns the steps, methods, and actions for editing products

FIG 23 is a schematic branching from FIG 2 where the user has decided to create a \ irtual RFP, and concerns the steps, methods, and actions for the user to create a Virtual RFP

FIG 24 is a schematic branching from FIG 23 where the user (registered v endor) receiv es notification of a Virtual RFP matching their business area interests and can subsequently retπev e this document on-line, and concerns the steps, methods. and actions tor the user to retπev e a V irtual RFP FIG 25 is a schematic branching from FIGS 3 and 4 where the user has been taken to the Product Description Page, and concerns the steps, methods, and actions for the user once they are into the Product Description Page

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present inv ention presents a new method and manner for the following with respect to the field of telecommunications marketing products and services, finding detailed information on products and services, comparing products and services, finding a degree program, finding or posting a job opportunity, finding a system integrator, learning more about specific topics w ithm the field through published papers, reading new s related to all aspects of the industry, finding information to specific issues, finding a company, looking up acronyms and definitions, creating a request for proposals, purchasing and may be limited to a specific category of products, including products that cost less than 510,000, and generating solid marketing leads for items exceeding this amount The system may be implemented by making use of the Internet and its characteristics, existing Web dev elopment tools commercially available, and the information provided by telecommunications vendors including manufacturers, se ice providers, and system integrators

Throughout this descπption the term "user^" is used When a specific class of "user" is mentioned the descnptive characteristic appears in parentheses (e g , user (vendor)) In all other cases it refers to any individual w ho comes to the "site " The "site" refers to the current invention and its inherent properties including presence on the Internet The term "v endor" refers to all entities that subscribe to the invention and populate the invention^'s database with the information that is used in the other applications Finally, the term "product" refers not only to product, service, or system solution

FIG 1 is snapshot of the input or data entrv process w here a vendor 102 accesses the site and entei s product service information In this instance the database 100 may comprise partitions 104 whereby the each v endor has a separate database or portion of a database that houses their product/ serv ice information A-ccess to this partition 104 may be restricted to the vendor 102 and personnel w ithm the site Access to this function is provided through the Internet 1 10 and access to the site at http:\\vvww tele/oo com The endor 102 then accesses the login area and proceeds to enter their login name and passw ord (cf FIG 19)

FIG 2 is a schematic block diagram or process flow of the system and the options that a user can choose from w hen enteπng the site at the aforementioned address. Each decision block 202. 204, 206. 208. 210. 212, 214, 216. 218, 220, 222. 224, 226. 228, 230. 232. 234. 236. represents a hyperlink or action that the user may take when at the site^'s home page When the user chooses a particular function 203, 205, 207. 209. 21 1. 213. 215. 217. 219, 221. 223, 225. 227. 229. 231 , 233. 235, 237. 239, the system transfers the user to a separate page and the associated actions and processes The schematic of FIG 2 simply presents the options available. In one embodiment, the user is not transferred to the Virtual RFP If the customer takes no action, the system continues to present the menu page until the user either selects an option or exits the site. Graphical presentation of the format may be accomplished through commercially available software

FIG 3 is a process flow describing the Compare function 203 For a user desiring to compare v aπous products and has some existing information/knowledge of the products that are available At a step 300. when the user selects "Compare Products ' the product comparison module, product comparison asp, is invoked In a step 302. the user is then presented the first category sheet where they are asked to choose betw een a product, a service, or system solution In a step 304. the user selects one of these categoπes, and is taken to a subsequent page where all the vaπous index categoπes for that area are presented Some categoπes within the index have other sub-categories In a step 306. if the user selects one of these categoπes, a similar process is followed at steps 308 and 310 This process (steps 306. 308, 310) continues until the actual business area where products hav e been indexed has been selected According to one embodiment, the actual business area may be three levels deep, although few er or more lev els of detail may be provided as well In each instance selection may be made according to know n methods of selecting in a graphical user interface, including v ia a radio button where upon selection ("clicking") of the button corresponding to an area the subsequent action is executed automatically In a step 312. the user is presented the listing of all products for this topical area. In a step 314. the user is then allow ed to select a plurality of selections to be compar ed In one embodiment, a maximum number of selections may be set bv the svstem. such as foui selections At least tw o selections are generally lequired to perform the selection The user may change their choice and also clear all selections at anv time Each product listed is a respectiv e record withm the database 100 indexed by product ID which is ultimately tied to the first 3 categories (product, sen ice. and system solution)

The user may then initiate product comparison, such as through selection of a "Compare Products" button on the user interface A comparison module is then inv oked which retrieves the Product IDs selected bv the user to obtain the corresponding template stored in the database 100 for that product Each product stored in the database 100 may comprise a template stored therewith w ith a standardized format of information These templates are unique to the product and lepresent the chief accomplishment of the inv ention in a step 316 to create a normalized datasheet where a side by side, hke-to-hke comparison can be done

Simultaneously, the comparison module also retrieves the selected records from the database In a step 318, the information in these records are retrieved and presented withm the datasheet via the "Product Descπption Page" (see FIG 25)

The user can now choose any of the following actions return to the prev ious oage and compare four more products, read any news related to the products presented to the user v ia the "Compare" feature, or purchase the product on-line The last three actions may be contained with the Product Description Page and is explained later (cf FIG 25) At any time the user can leav e this function 203 by clicking on anv of the functions 205. 207, 209. 21 1 , 213. 215. 21 ". 219, 221. 223. 225. 229, 231. 233. 235, 237. 239 with their links presented in the left margin to the user The user can also return to the home page by clicking on the home hyperlink in the upper right hand comer of the page

FIG 4 is a process flow describing the Find function 205 This function is intended for the user who does not hav e anv necessary idea of what is offered in the marketplace, but does know their general requirements In a step 400, when the user selects "Find Products," the product search module, pi odsecu c asp. is invoked In a step 402. the user is then presented the fust category sheet w here they are asked to choose between a product, a sen ice or svstem solution The user selects one of these categories, and in a step 404 is taken to a subsequent page in a step 406 where all the v aπous index categones for that area are presented In a step 408. the user will make their selection Some categories within the index have other subcategoπes If the usei selects one of these categories similar process is followed This process continues until the actual business area where products have been indexed Again, the process may set a limit on the number of levels that may be chosen, such as a maximum of three lev els In each instance selection may be made through the user interface, such as via a radio button w here upon selection ("clicking") of the button corresponding to an area the subsequent action is executed automatically λt step 410. the user is then presented a split screen where on the left is a list of questions that they can use to assist them in the search and on the πght are the search results The questions presented correspond to predefined categories that vendors complete when performing product entry According to one embodiment, these predefined categories may be mandatory to perform the search

In a step 412, the user can select any of these questions Adjacent to each question is a question mark which the user may click on to bπng up a hyperlink pop-up box that explains the purposes The user selects a question at step 412 and is, in a step 414. provided a set of possible cπteπa to choose from The criteria presented correspond to actual specific data that has been entered by the vendors

Upon selection of a specific criteria, the module performs a query lookup to identify records with the specific Product ID and the fields with data matching the find criteria specified by the user The results are then posted on the right side of the screen along with the search cnteπa stated up top

In a step 416, the user can then choose to refine the search by adding another cπteπa v ia the same process With this action the search mav be re-run against the previously qualified products with the new search cπteπa The user mav continue with this process until the results meet their cπteπa Λt any time the user can opt to perform a new search within the same category by clicking on the "New Search w hich cleans all results and querv history In addition at a step 418, the user can choose to compare a products that have satisfied the search cπteπa by clicking "Compaie Products ^' as described above

At step 420. the "Compare Products" module is then invoked where it letπeves the Product ID and retriev es the selected records from the database 101 In a step 422, the information in these lecords are retπeved and presented with the datasheet v ia the "Product Description Page "

The user can now choose any of the follow ing actions return to the previous page and choose a different category or leave this function by clicking on any of the functions with then links presented m the left margin to the user The user can also return to the home page by clicking on the home hyperlink in the upper πght hand comer of the page

FIG 5 is a process flow descπbing the Find a Degree function 209 This function is intended for the user who does wishes to find a Degree Program related to the telecommunications field This function uses the product search module, prodsearch asp, w ith the specific Product ID = "398" for the education/training

Similar to the product search 205, in a step 500. the user is then presented a split screen where on the left is a list of questions relevant to degree programs - such as geographical location, level of degree, and major In a step 502, the user can select any of these questions to sene as the basis of their search All other functions and processes similar to Find Products hold

FIG 6 is a process flow descπbing the Job Board ("Career Center") function 21 1 With this function 21 1 the user can search for a job. create a resume, or post a job The user can search for a job on or off-line

When the user selects find a job at step 600. the site opens in a step 602 a session with a com 10b board, such as Monster com In a step 602. the functions of the com job site are displayed as part of this invention The site incorporates the "Job

Search" function w hich gives access to the com job search engine with key words of

"Engineering/ Archιtecture^;Desιgn" and "Information Technology " or through other key words (e g , "Telecommunications") that the user mav enter, and all geographical sites In a step 604. the user selects their criteria and the results are displayed for the user in a step 606 In this feature the user can clear their criteria and begin a new search The Career Center 21 1 also giv es the user the option to enter their specific criteria on-line and subsequentlv log-off w here the search engine w ill continue the search and deliver potential opportunities to an In Box^" tor the user The Career

Center also allows the user to create a resume on-line and immediatelv respond to a job opening on the com job site

Finallv, the Career Center 21 1 w ill allow users to post job openings that both this site s and the com job site users w ill ha e access to apply for

FIG 7 is a process flow descπbing the \ endor Finance function 213 This function 213 is intended for the user who is interested in learning about the variety of financing options that most major equipment manufacturers offer tor their high-end products In the ideal scenaπo the user has identified a product and knows the cost of acquiring a product and is now looking at the possible payment options

This function uses the product search module, prodsearch asp. with the specific Product ID = "399" for the v endor finance plans In a step 700. the user has selected the category of vendor offeπng a finance plan In a step 702, all the vendors with financing plans will be presented w ith the corresponding URL available via hyperlink, and the company logo In a step 704, the user chooses a company, and in a step 706, the user is hyperhnked to containing vendor finance information

As illustrated in FIG 8, the "Posted Tender ^' function 215 is a function that will allow users to either post or v lew posted tenders For the users who have specifications already documented and want individuals to bid on the opportunity, the user will enter the site and login in a step 800 Once the account ID and password is veπfied at a step 802 the user may proceed to view posted tenders a steps 804, 806 or decide to post a tender at a step 808 In steps 810. 812, the user enters the name of the bid and the URL of where the requirements mav be v iewed It should be noted that such users can also send the tender to the site where it will be posted In a step 814, the site w ill confirm that the tender was posted and return the user to the tender page

This function 215 is also av ailable to the endors w here a registered v endor can login and check the tenders that have been posted If the tender is located at a separate URL. the v endor can click on the hyperlink and be taken to the tender FIGS 9- 12 provide the usei w ith Stock Market and News Information This site interfaces with a com stock quote site to obtain information as requested by the inv ention s user

Users can obtain stock quote information and create their own portfolio at the site L pon choosing the stock quote option 217, the module, getquote asp. is in oked This module opens a session in a step 900 and obtains information from a com stock quote site For stock quotes the user can enter obtain up to 10 quotes in one "session" by entering the ticker symbols in a step 902 and clicking on the "Submit" button In addition, thev may specify how they ish for this information to be presented In a step 904. the user input is read and a link to the .com stock quote site is opened (e g , fast quote com) and the information is retπeved and displayed to the customer in a step 906 In steps 908, 910. 912, this module ill also allow the user to view their portfolio In step 914, this module will also allow the user to read market news

FIG 10 details the regulation and business news function 219 where a site user can read news stones related to telecommunications law or regulatory matters In steps

1000. 1002, when the user selects this function 218 the module, busreg asp. and a similar session is opened with a com stock quote site with the keyword

"Telecommunications Law "

FIG 1 1 details the press release function 21 1 where a site user can read news stories related to telecommunications law or regulatory matters In steps 1 100. 1 102. when the user selects this function the module, presrel asp. and a similar session is opened with a .com stock quote site with the keyword "Telecommunications PR ^"

FIG 12 details the technical news function 223 where a site user can read news stories related to telecommunications law or regulatory matters In steps 1200. 1202, when the user selects this function the module, technews asp, and a similar session is opened w ith com stock quote site w ith the keyword "Telecommunication Stories "

The field of telecommunications is cluttered ith acronyms, many w ith multiple meanings The Acronyms and Definitions function 225 provides a method w here a user can quickly look up a part or entire acronym and it will give the definition When the user clicks on "Acronym and Definitions.^" the module, acrom m asp, is inv oked In a step 1300. the user is prov ided an input w indow where thev can enter the acronym in its entirety or part of it In a step 1302. the module will take hat has been entered and perform an ID lookup on all acronyms that match the criteria entered beginning from the first character In a step 1304. the module will take the records that match and display the acronyms and definitions

FIG 14 is a process flow describing the Find a Company function 227 This function is intended for the user who w ishes to find a telecommunications or netw orking company related to the telecommunications field This function uses the product search module, prodsearch asp, with the specific Product ID = "396" for companies

Similar to the product find function in steps 1400. 1402. 1404. 1406. the user will choose categories that relate to various business areas that may include their interest Once a category corresponding to the site's product index, in a step 1408, a listing of companies will be displayed Each company is listed as a hyperlink where if the user, in a step 1410, is to click on the company's name they will be taken in a step 1412 to the companies' URL site The site also provides a mechanism where a user can find a research paper on topics related to telecommunications (technologies, solutions, applications, etc ) in 2 steps Users who choose the "White Paper" function 229 invoke w hitepaper asp and in a step 1500 are presented a dialog box and a listing of over 75 categoπes withm the field of telecommunications If the user know the category they are researching, in a step 1502 they click a radio button In a step 1504, the module then performs a lookup and retrieves those papei possessing the Category ID that matches what of the user specified

If the user does not know the topic or cannot find it, in a step 1506. they can enter "key w ords" where the search engine will perform a match to identifv all records where the white paper title contains at least one of the character strmg(s) entered in the dialog box In a step 1508. the user then chooses a sub-category

In step 1510, the module then displays the qualified list of papers in terms of title in the form of a hyperlink, and the company logo In a step 1512. should the user click on the title, in a step 1514. thev are taken to the URL where the papei is located and it is displayed

For users who want a quick short discourse the site offeis the Technical Q&A section 231 As illustrated in FIG 16. when the user clicks on this feature 231 they are connected to a bulletin board/news feature where in a step 1600 the user can click on a topic and a step 1602 lead all the messages posted under the topical area The user is given the option to read the "articles, ^' post a new article oi post a reply to a specific article in the form of a separate email or in the form of a message onto the board FIG 1 7 illustrates the Banner Ad function 233 w here a user at a step 1700 clicks on a banner In a step 1702. a bannet ID is retriev ed and the URL address is accessed In a step 1704, the user is hyperhnked to the L RL address of the advertising vendor

FIGS 18-19 present two methods of vendor adv ertisement on the site Advertisements are placed throughout the site in the form of banners or promotions Any user seeking more information on the presented items in a step 1800 can simply click on the banner or promotion Each banner or promotion it is presented with an ID behind it The ID references the site and finds matching URL In a step 1802, this URL is then invoked and user is taken to that address Referring to FIG 19, for every action related to product entry, and maintenance including white papers and product news, the user (vendor or school) may require that the user log-in All system integrators, manufacturers, and universities must register w ith the site pπor to obtaining a user ID and password Users access che login area bv clicking on the associated hyperlink Upon choosing this action, m a step 1900, users are taken to the Sign-In page

If the user is new, in a step 1902, they are taken to the sign-up page In a step 1904, users then enter key information including organization name, physical and email addresses, point of contact, and business areas of interest, and then submit their request This request is then sent to the site s ma database w here it is housed and, in a step 1906, a user ID and password is created The site then creates a Company ID for any company previously unregistered This ID will house the email POC for the purposes of sales lead and proposal notification, for the linking ot company to product, and foi the linking of company ID to any promotion oi banner should they wish to advertise or promote their products more actively In a step 1908 the customer POC is then notified v ia email with user id (login name) and passw ord The registration process is not limited to v endors Any user who wishes to use the Virtual RFP featuie oi post a tender must also registei The same processes and functions hold

For those users already registered, the user accesses the login area in a step 1910 and enteis then ID and passwoid The site w ill then, m a step 1912, v erify the data entered If the information entered is wrong, then the user will be prompted again to enter their ID and pass ord

If the log-in attempt is successful then, in a step 1914, the user is taken to their specific Product Area Page Once in the Product Area Page, the vendor is now able to make changes to their product database (FIG 20) These changes include the ability to add new products, white papers, and product new s, the ability to edit or make changes to any of the already present products, the ability to delete a product, white papers or product ne s, and the ability to copy a product for the purposes of rapid population of the product database FIG 20 illustrates the sign-in function 235 As noted m Figure 20, in a step

2000, the vendor is presented with a sign-in page In a step 2002, the vendor enters a user IDS and password At step 2004, a check is made to determine whether the ID and password are valid If not, the vendor is returned to step 2000 After the vendor has entered a v alid ID and password, at a step 2006. a standard product input page is presented having data from the endor's partition (see FIG 1 ) If a customer has decided to discontinue a particular product or sen ice or simple no longer wish to market this item they may choose to delete it in a step 2008 If a customer wishes to delete a product they simply click on the radio button corresponding to the product in question, and then click on the "Delete" function In a step 2010. the site will then ask the user for confirmation prior to proceeding In a step 2012, a confirmation is made to ensure if the user selects "Yes." in which case, in a step 2014. the site will take the record number. Company ID. and Product ID. and remove all references to this record from the database (both customer partition and entire site) If the user selects "Cancel" the user is taken back to the mam Customer Area Page In a step 2016. the user may choose to copv a product by clicking on the radio button ot the desired product and then by clicking on "Copy " In a step 2018, the site engine will take the Product ID. Company ID, and cieate a new record w ith the same fields as the one selected to be copied The site will then name this new record "Copy 1 of product>," where <product> is the name of the selected product

In a step 2020, if the usei has chosen to enter a new product, they click on

"Enter New Product^/Serv ice ^" The Companv ID is stored and. in a step 2022. the user is then taken through the same categoiv steps in the process of selecting a product oi sen ice (see FIG 21 ) The site then stores the Product ID. and the Product Name Page is displayed

In steps 2024, 2026 the user can choose to edit by entering the product name and part number if they choose to As illustrated in FIG 21 , if the user has chosen to enter a new product, the site allow s the user to choose a categorv or sub-category in steps 3000. 3002. 3004. 3006 In a step 3008. the site then uses the Product ID to display the product name page at step 3010 In a step 3012. the user enters a name and part number and. in a step 3014, the site retrieves the normalized data sheet that is then presented to the v endor tor the purposes of data entry

Upon completion of data entry, at a step 3016. the user will hit the "Save" button in order to update the record and populate the data fields in a step 3018 At this point the product is still marked as "Incomplete " This means that the product is still not available in the database for the purposes of Product Comparison or Product Find To enable a product to be viewed bv users the vendor must select in a step 3020

"Complete and Close " At this point, in a step 3022, the database is updated w ith the new product, and the user is brought back to the mam customer page in a step 3024

FIG 22 presents the details for w hen a customer wishes to edit a product or sen ice As mentioned, to Edit a product, in a step 4000, the customer clicks on the product^'s or service's corresponding radio button and then chooses "Edit ^"

In a step 4002, the product or sen ice record is captured, and the customer is taken to a new screen presenting the database record The user, in a step 4004, will then hit select the "Incomplete" button to temporarily pull the product out ot the site^'s database In steps 4006, 4008, 4010 4012, the user then makes the changes by selecting new features or removing existing features by checking those that appear under Specification for each sub-categorv To update the record the user, in a step 4014. then clicks on "Save^" where, in a step 4016. the corresponding data fields are updated with the user s changes To re-insert the pioduct into the database at step 4020 the user, must in a step 4018. select "Complete and Close ^"

The changes can include changing a name or part numbei In either the product entrv mode oi edit mode the user can select the 'Change Product Name Part Number " The user w ill be taken to a separate screen where the existing name and part number are displayed The user may then make the changes and leturn to the product s data sheet by hitting the same button

Similarlv ithm either the Enter or Edit mode a v endor can enter Product New s The user simplv clicks on Add/Edit/Delete New s Articles ^" The user may add or edit the news bv typing in the Title, the URL (Web address), the date for the news article, and then click on "Add New News Article" button, and return to the product screen

As illustrated FIGS 21 and 22, in both modes the user can exit the screen and return to the mam customer area by clicking on the "Log-m ' button at steps 3026, 3024 and 4022, 4024 In steps 3028 and 4026, w hen the user has completed making changes they can click on the "Logout" button, from where the user is returned to the homepage at steps 3030 and 4028

The last major sen ice of the invention is the Virtual Request for Proposal ("Virtual RFP") The Virtual Request for Proposal function 239 is the first offering of its kind where a registered user can prepare such a request online

As illustrated in FIG 23, users select this feature and. in a step 5000 are taken to the first page of the Virtual RFP In this page users enter the title of the future project, the timeframe, and specifics of their organization with respect to business area,

The first page also includes several questions related to w here the customer is requesting such senice, the number of network locations, users (network end-points) and applications This is followed by questions related to specific products or services the user mav be requesting In a step 5002, the customer prov ides answ eis to these questions The site stores these answers, and upon the user hitting "Next performs, in a step 5004, a check to see if the user ans ered all mandatory questions on Page 1 If all questions are answered then, in a step 5006 the user is taken to Page 2 If all mandatory questions w ere not answered then the user is returned to Page 1 In steps 5012. 5014 at page 2. the site will only display semces if the user had selected services from Page 1. and like ise, at steps 5008, 5010, for products If the user selected both then both categories are displayed When at page 2. the user, at a step 5016. is then asked to select particular products or services When the user has completed all the questions, the site then prompts the user, at a step 5018, as to whether they wish to proceed in submitting this proposal If the user hits "Yes" then the RFP is sent to the site for processing If the usei opts not to submit the proposal, then they are taken back to the site^'s mam page. Upon submittal to the site, in a step 5020, the answers to the RFP are then processed as illustrated in FIG 24 In a step 6000. specific questions related to applications, products, and semces are linked to key words These key words correspond to the business areas that registered vendors hav e indicated as areas of interest In a step 6002, it is determined which companies have interests matching these key words

This filtering produces a scenaπo where only those v endors with an interest in the areas the customer as indicated as needing services w ill receive the RFP This results in a generation of effective leads for vendors while minimizing the exposure to erroneous leads Upon completion of the filteπng the site, in a step 6004. proceeds to obtain the

Company ID of each company with the specific interest This ID is then used to retrieve points of contacts and their email address In a step 6006, the site will then send an urgent email to each POC notifying them of an urgent RFP at the site

Upon receiving the mail, in a step 6008, the vendors w ill enter the site and login Once logged, the v endors are taken to their respectiv e site where they are given the option of retπev mg the RFP This site will display all RFPs that would interest the vendor Should the endor desire to read the RFP, in a step 6010, they simply click on the RFP title hyperlink In a step 6012, the site will then display the RFP for the vendor The last feature ot the site is the on-line ordei feature contained withm the

Product Description Page When users choose "Compare Products" feature 203, as illustrated in FIG 25. ev eiv template contains 3 functions underneath the name of each product In a step 7002. to read new s related to a specific product sen ice they can select "Read News ^" In a step ^"004. to view the v endor s product literature, users select the "Product Description" feature For users w ishing to purchase a product, m a step 7006. they select "Order On-Lme ^" This last feature is the electronic commerce portion of the site Initially, all orders will be processed in a similar manner to that of the v endor notification When the user selects this feature, in a step 7010, the site grabs the Product ID, and Company ID and stores the information

Simultaneously, in a step 7008. the user is presented with an order form where specific questions are answered When the user has submitted the request, m a step 7012. the Company ID is used to retrieve the company POC email and, in a step 7014, an email is sent to the POC notifying them of an on-line order In the future, all items under 510,000 will be sold directly over the Internet v ia electronic commerce and secure credit card transaction In instances where the amount of the purchase exceeds this limit the previous method of notification will hold

Accordingly, the present invention prov ides the following improvements to existing systems The creation of an Internet site solely dedicated to the field of telecommunications This is the first telecommunications portal The creation of a normalized product data sheet for every single telecommunications product and service This sheet has been developed in conjunction w ith the attempt to standardized terminology across all vendor product lines and sen ices

The creation of a product companson teatuie that is independent of vendor preference, proprietary features, or pπce determination

The creation of a new marketing channel tor product manufacturers and sen'ice providers through the use of banner advertisements, promotional areas and greater product awareness through functions listed abov e

The creation of a sales channel where manufacturers have strict control over what items can be sold thereby ensuπng against scenarios w here products no longer supported are sold as had been the case with re-sellei channels ia a vendor database The creation of a more precise lead generator where products are actually sold and those exceeding a set funding amount are immediately sent to the v endor for the purposes of business transaction The creation of the first site vvheie users can find a qualified college degree of anv lev el (B S . M S . Ph D ) that is related to the field of telecommunications

The creation of a site w here v endors and users can find system integrators that meet then requirements The cieation of a site w here useis can find a "system solution^" w here specific approaches hav e been documented as best practices withm the industry

The implementation of a Career Center dedicated to the field of telecommunications where users can search for possible job openings, apply for job openings, and post job openings The provisioning of a new s sen ice covering all aspects of telecommunications including business, technology, and regulation

The provision of a stock quote sen ice including the ability to create an on-line portfolio Thereby giving customers a customized look and feel

The creation of the first site w here users can view every manufacturers financing plans for their product line

The creation of a learning center where users can retπeve research papers, post questions to experts and look up industry acronyms and definitions

The creation of the first proposal and bid process for telecommunications where the site allows users to create a pioposal The creation of an active filteπng tool to be used in conjunction with the proposal process described above to prov ide the opportunity to only those who are interested in the related opportunities therebv further eliminating the scenario of bad leads

The creation of a service where v endors can view other posted tenders or offers and subsequently bid on the required tender

The creation of a service where a user can find any company and be taken to their World Wide Web page for closer examination

While this invention has been descπbed in the manner that is the preferred embodiment, it is understood that the inv ention is not limited to what is disclosed On the contrary, it is intended to cov er what is the spirit and scope of the claims

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS

1 1 An interactive method of comparing vendor items over an Internet-based web

2 site, comprising

3 presenting to a user a plurality of categories corresponding to v endor items,

4 receiv ing from the user a selection of one of the categories.

5 presenting to the user a list of vendor items corresponding to the selected one

6 category,

7 receiv ing from the user a selection of which of the plurality of listed vendor

8 items the user desires to be compared to each other; and

9 presenting to the user a comparison of information on each of the selected 0 endor items

2 The method of claim 1. said presenting to the user a plurality of categories i corresponding to v endor items including presenting to the user a plurality of categories

3 corresponding to v endor products

1 3 The method of claim 1. said presenting to the user a plurality of categoπes

. corresponding to v endor items including presenting to the user a plurality of categories

-> corresponding to vendor services

1 4 The method of claim 1. said presenting to the user a plurality of categoπes

2 corresponding to v endor items including presenting to the user at least one of a category of

3 vendor products and a category of v endor services, said receiv ing from the user the selection

4 of one of the categoπes including receiving a selection of at least one of the category of

5 vendor products and the category ot v endor semces.

1 5 The method of claim 1. further composing

2 presenting to the user a plurality of sub-categories withm the selected category; and

3 receiving from the user a selection of one of the sub-categoπes. said presenting to the

4 user the list of vendor items including presenting a list of vendor items w ithm the selected

5 sub-category, said receiving from the user a selection of which of the plurality of listed

6 vendor items the user desires to be compared to each other including receiving from the user a selection of which of a plurality of listed vendor items w ithm the selected sub-category the user desires to be compared to each other, said presenting including presenting for comparison by the user a comparison of information on each of the selected vendor items withm the selected sub-category

6 The method of claim 1. said receiv ing fiom the user a selection ot which of the plurality of listed items the user desires to be compared to each other including receiving from the user a selection of at least two of the plurality of listed items the user desires to be compared to each other

7 The method of claim 1 , further comprising retriev ing from a database a template for each of the selected vendor items the user desires to be compared to each other, each of the templates hav ing a same standardized format and each containing different information, said presenting lor comparison including presenting the templates for each of the selected vendor items

8 The method of claim 1 , further compnsmg presenting to the user an option to view at least one of news on at least one of the selected vendor items and a product description on at least one of the selected vendor items

9 The method of claim 1 , further comprising presenting to the user an option to order at least one of the selected endor items

10 The method of claim 9. further compnsmg recei ing from the user a selection of which of the selected v endor items the user desires to order

1 1 The method of claim 10. further comprising fonv ard g an order to a vendor for the selected vendor item the user desires to order

12 The method of claim 1, said presenting to the user the plurality of categoπes including presenting to the user at least one category corresponding to v endor services and at least one category corresponding to vendor products

13 The method ot claim 1 , further comprising presenting to the user a list of questions that each correspond to vendor categories

14 The method of claim 13, further comprising l eceiv ing from the user a selection of one of the questions 15 The method of claim 14. further comprising

in response to the user selecting one of the questions, presenting to the user

3 criteria for selection by the user, and

4 receiv ing from the usei a selection of one of the criteria, said presenting to the

5 user the list of vendor items including presenting to the user a list of vendor items that satisfy

6 the cπteπa selected by the user

1 16 The method of claim 1. further comprising i presenting to a v endor a sign-in page,

3 receiving from the v endor a password.; and

4 receiving changes to a v endor item database.

1 17 The method of claim 16. said receiving changes to the vendor item data base

2 including at least one of

3 adding new products or services; changing information on existing products or sen ices, and

5 deleting products or services.

1 18 The method of claim 1 , said presenting to the user a compaπson of information including presenting to the user a side-by-side comparison of information on ^•> each of the selected vendor items

1 19 A method of matching v endors with users desiπng a sen/ice or product via an Internet-based website, comprising presenting a user a plurality of questions concerning at least one of a desired type of service and a desired type of product; receiving from the user answers to the plurality ot questions. receiving an indication of an area of interest from a plurality of vendors, and determining from the ans ered questions w hether at least one of the vendors has an area of interest that matches at least one of the desired type of service and the desired type of product.

1 20 The method of claim 19. further comprising 2 providing a request for a proposal for at least one of the desired type of sen ice

3 and the desired type of product to the at least one v endor having an area of interest that

4 matches the at least one of the desired type of serv ice and the desired type of product

1 1 The method of claim 20, further comprising at least one of the vendors

2 loggmg-m to the website, said providing including presenting the request for a proposal to the

3 at least one vendor after the vendor logs-in to the w ebsite

1 22 The method of claim 19. said request for a proposal being provided to a

. plurality of the v endors each having an area of interest that matches the at least one of the

J desired type of sen'ice and the desired type of product

23 The method of claim 19, said presenting the user a plurality of questions i including presenting questions concerning the desired type of service.

24 The method of claim 19, said presenting the user a plurality of questions

. including presenting questions concerning the desired type of product.

1 25. The method of claim 19, said presenting the user a plurality of questions

1 including presenting questions concerning the desired type of product and concerning the desired type of service

26 The method of claim 19. further comprising again presenting the user at least

~> one of the plurality of questions if the user does not ans er all of the plurality of questions

27 The method of claim 19, further comprising determining whether the user has selected at least one of a products category and a serv ices category.

28 The method of claim 19. further compnsmg creating a request for a proposal

~> based on the answered questions and storing the request for a proposal in a database

1 29 The method of claim 19, said determining from the answered questions

2 w hether at least one of the vendors has an area of interest that matches at least one of the

3 desired type of sen'ice and the desired type of product including linking the ansvv ered

4 questions to keywords and determining whether the kevw ords correspond to at least one of

5 the areas of interest from the plurality of v endois 30 The method of claim 19. if it is determined from the answ ered questions that at least one of the v endors has an area of interest that matches at least one of the desired type of serv ice and the desired type of product, then providing a notification to at least one of the v endors.

31. The method of claim 30. said prov iding a notification including sending an email to the at least one v endor.

32. The method of claim 19, further comprising: presenting a log-m page to at least one of the plurality of v endors: and presenting to the at least one vendor a request for a proposal based on the answered questions