Claims
- 1. A method of using a dynamic computing environment to facilitate a sales preparation of a first software, the method comprising
configuring the dynamic computing environment for a first hardware, a first software environment and a first network configuration; preparing for sales of the first software using the first hardware, the first software environment, and the first network configuration of the dynamic computing environment; configuring the dynamic computing environment for a second hardware, a second software environment, and a second network configuration; and preparing for sales of the first software using the second hardware, the second software environment, and the second network configuration of the dynamic computing environment.
- 2. A method of using a dynamic computing environment to facilitate a sales demonstration of a first software, the method comprising
configuring the dynamic computing environment for a first hardware, a first software environment, and a first network configuration; demonstrating the execution of the first software using the first hardware, the first software environment, and the first network configuration of the dynamic computing environment; configuring the dynamic computing environment for a second hardware, a second software environment, and a second network configuration; and demonstrating the execution of the first software using the second hardware the second software environment, and the third network configuration of the dynamic computing environment.
- 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the dynamic computing environment is shared among a sales team user and a customer user in different geographic locations, wherein the steps in claim 2 are effected by a sales team user in a first location, the method further comprising:
using a processor in the dynamic computing environment to accept signals from the customer location to modify the execution of the first software process.
- 4. The method of claim 3, wherein communications between the dynamic computing environment and the locations are secure.
- 5. A system for facilitating a sales demonstration of one or more configurations of a first software, the demonstration performed by a sales team for one or more customers, the system comprising:
a system for configuration, provisioning, and access of the one or more dynamic computing environments, a set of available resources including a hardware, a software environment, and network resources, a first set of one or more dynamic computing environments created by the sales team using the set of available resources, and a set of copies of the one or more configurations of the first software, wherein each copy in the set of copies run on a separate dynamic computing environment in the one or more dynamic computing environments, wherein provisioning comprises allocation of resources for the one or more dynamic computing environments from the set of available resources, wherein access comprises:
access to the one or more dynamic computing environments by the sales team, and access to the one or more copies of the first software by the one or more customers through the dynamic computing environment.
- 6. The system of claim 5, wherein access by the sales team is from a location remote to the location of the dynamic computing environment.
- 7. The system of claim 6, wherein access by at least one of the one or more customers is from a location remote to the location of the dynamic computing environment.
- 8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a secure communication link between the dynamic computing environment and the location of the sales team and a secure communication link between the one or more dynamic computing environments and the one or more customers.
- 9. The system of claim 5, wherein access to the one or more dynamic computing environments are isolated from each other, wherein a first copy of a demonstrated software installed on a first dynamic computing environment will not interfere with a second copy of a demonstrated software installed on a second dynamic computing environment.
- 10. The system of claim 5, further comprising:
a second set of dynamic computing environments created by the sales team using the available resources, and a set of copies of the one or more configurations of a second software, each copy running on a separate dynamic computing environment out of the second set of dynamic computing environments, wherein the second set of dynamic computing environments and the set of copies of the one or more configurations of the second software facilitate a comparative demonstration between the first and second software.
- 11. The system of claim 5, wherein the system facilitates a customer evaluation of the first software.
- 12. The system of claim 11, further comprising tracking software running on each of the one or more dynamic computing environments, wherein the tracking software tracks customer's interactions with the copy of the first software running on the same dynamic computing environment.
- 13. The system of claim 11, further comprising system monitoring software running on each of the dynamic computing environments, wherein the monitoring software monitors failures of the first software running on the same dynamic computing environment.
- 14. A method of using a dynamic computing environment to facilitate a user's evaluation of a software, the method comprising the steps:
creating the dynamic computing environment; installing the software on the dynamic computing environment, interacting with the first software through the first dynamic computing environment, obtaining feedback information from the interactions, and obtaining feedback information from the dynamic computing environment.
- 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising using the feedback information to reconfigure the software.
- 16. The method of claim 14, further comprising using the feedback information to re-install the software
- 17. The method of claim 14, wherein obtaining feedback information from the interactions comprises using a tracking and monitoring software program located on the dynamic computing environment to obtain the feedback information.
- 18. The method of claim 14, further comprising m using the feedback information to modify the first dynamic computing environment.
- 19. The method of claim 14, wherein obtaining feedback information from the interactions comprises:
tracking the user's interactions with the software, and sending signals from the dynamic computing environment containing the user's interactions.
- 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the signals include information about the user's usage time.
- 21. The method of claim 19, wherein the signals include information about the user's usage patterns.
- 22. The method of claim 19, wherein the signals include indications of where a user is spending a proportionally large amount of time.
- 23. The method of claim 14, wherein obtaining feedback information from the interactions comprises:
monitoring the behavior of the software, and sending signals from the dynamic computing environment containing the behavior of the software.
- 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the signals include indications of failures of the software.
- 25. The method of claim 14, further comprising using the dynamic computing environment to transition from a sales cycle to customer ownership.
- 26. The method of claim 25, wherein using the dynamic computing environment to transition from a sales cycle to customer ownership comprises saving a preferred configuration of the dynamic computing environment for the software.
- 27. A method for facilitating a transition of a software to a remote customer using a dynamic computing environment, the method comprising:
creating a dynamic computing environment, installing the software in the dynamic computing environment; demonstrating one or more configurations of the first software to a remote customer in series by modifying the dynamic computing environment, evaluating one or more configurations of the first software through the dynamic computing environment, choosing a preferred configuration for the first software, transferring ownership of the dynamic computing environment to the customer after the sale.
- 28. The method of claim 27 further comprising the step of the sales team providing post-sale customer support for the first software through the dynamic computing environment.
- 29. A method of using a dynamic computing environment to facilitate a sales demonstration, the method comprising
configuring the dynamic computing environment for a first hardware and network configuration; demonstrating the execution of a software application using the first hardware and network configuration; configuring the dynamic computing environment for a second hardware and network configuration; and demonstrating the execution of a software application using the second hardware and network configuration.
- 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the dynamic computing environment is shared among a sales user and a customer user in different geographic locations, wherein the steps in claim 1 are effected by a sales user in a first location, the method further comprising
using a processor in the dynamic computing environment to accept signals from the customer location to modify the execution of a software application.
- 31. The method of claim 29, wherein communications between the dynamic computing environment and the locations is secure.
- 32. A method of using a dynamic computing environment (DCE) to track a user's usage of software, wherein a human user interacts with the DCE from a first geographic location, wherein a human agent interacts with the DCE from a second geographic location, the method comprising:
sending signals from the DCE to the agent, wherein the signals indicate the user's interactions with the DCE.
- 33. The method of claim 32, wherein the signals include information about the user's usage time.
- 34. The method of claim 32, wherein the signals include information about the user's usage patterns.
- 35. The method of claim 32, wherein the signals include indications of where a user is spending a proportionally large amount of time.
- 36. The method of claim 32, wherein the system is used to transition from a sales cycle to customer ownership.
- 37. An apparatus for facilitating a software demonstration, the apparatus comprising:
a dynamic computing environment; a configuring process comprising logic to configure the dynamic computing environment for a first hardware and network configuration and a second hardware and network configuration; and a demonstrating process comprising logic to demonstrate the execution of a software application using the first hardware and network configuration and to demonstrate the execution of a software application using the second hardware and network configuration.
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 from the provisional patent application, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/260,611, filed on Jan. 9, 2001, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in full in this document.
[0002] This application is related to U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application entitled “User Interface for Dynamic Computing Environment Using Allocateable Resources” Ser. No. 09/663,252 filed on Sep. 15, 2000, page no. 1-27, FIGS. 1-5, U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application entitled “System for Configuration of Dynamic Computing Environments Using a Visual Interface” Ser. No. 09/662,990 filed on Sep. 15, 2000, page no. 1-23, FIGS. 1-2, and U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application No. __/______ (Attorney Docket No. 202706-000300US) filed on May 17, 2001 entitled “Dynamic Computing Environment Using Remotely Allocable Resources”, which are hereby incorporated by reference, as if set forth in full in this document, for all purposes.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60260611 |
Jan 2001 |
US |