Abstract: Information is quickly offered to users who require the information. In a system in which questions and answers are exchanged, when a given user other than the questioner becomes interested in a question, the user requests a notification server 1 to present the question. The answers to the question are automatically sent to a notification client 2 of the user. The answers to be sent may be either all the answers to the question or only the effective answers. Supports to the answers and comments on the answers may be accepted to decide the effectiveness of the answers.

Abstract: An unexpected demand detection system for detecting an unexpected demand for IT resources includes: a demand model recording part that records a demand model representing a time-based transition in a predetermined time period of a required amount of the IT resources; an unexpected demand model recording part that records an unexpected demand model representing a time-based transition different from the time-based transition of the amount of the IT resources represented by the demand model; and a judging part that performs a comparison among observation data indicating an actual demand for the IT resources observed in the predetermined time period, the amount of the IT resources represented by the demand model, and an amount of the IT resources represented by the unexpected demand model thereby to judge whether an unexpected demand represented by the unexpected demand model occurs.

Abstract: A management policy evaluation system for evaluating a management policy includes: a demand recording part for recording demand data representing a change in a value of a demand in a predetermined period; a supply recording part for recording supply data representing a change in a value of a supply in the predetermined period; a calculation part for comparing the demand data with the supply data, so as to calculate shortage/surplus data representing a change in shortage/surplus of an IT resource with respect to the demand in the predetermined period; and an evaluation part for generating evaluation data representing a loss or a profit to be created when the IT resource is assigned based on the management policy.

Abstract: An IT resource evaluation system connected to a management system for managing a plurality of IT resources working in a plurality of business systems, include a recording part for recording supply-and-demand data representing a transition of a demand or a supply of an IT resource in an entire business system, an accumulating part for accumulating actual dealing data containing a supply price, an IT resource data input part for inputting IT resource data regarding an IT resource to be evaluated, and an evaluating part for calculating value data representing a supply price in the case where an IT resource is supplied, based on supply-and-demand data, actual dealing data, and the IT resource data.

Abstract: A surplus determination system for determining a presence/absence of a surplus in an IT resource managed by an IT resource management system includes a recording part for recording working data representing a working situation of the IT resource, a recording part for recording a surplus determination rule representing a requirement of the working situation for the IT resource to be determined to have a surplus, and a surplus determining part for determining that there is a surplus in the case where the working situation represented by the working data satisfies the requirement of the working situation represented by the surplus determination rule, based on the working data and the surplus determination rule.

Abstract: An IT resource management system for managing a plurality of IT resources owned by a plurality of operating entities includes a supply condition accumulating part for accumulating a supply condition of a surplus IT resource, a demand condition accumulating part for accumulating a demand condition of an insufficient IT resource, a matching part for extracting a set of a supply condition and a demand condition matched with each other from the supply conditions and the demand conditions accumulated in the accumulating parts, and an assigning part for allowing an IT resource under the supply condition of the set to be available for an operating entity under the demand condition of the set.

Abstract: A demand forecasting system and a demand forecasting method capable of forecasting demands for IT resources in a data center accurately are provided. The demand forecasting system includes: a classification unit that classifies a plurality of users who use IT resources in a data center into a plurality of user's behavior classes; an event characteristics model generation unit that generates an event characteristics model representing a variation over time in a usage state of the IT resources caused by an event and the number of the users moving among the user's behavior classes caused by the event; an event influence calculation unit that calculates a predicted value of the variation over time in a usage state of the IT resources and a predicted value of the number of the users moving among the user's behavior classes that will be caused by an event scheduled to be held in the future using the event characteristics model; and a demand forecasting unit that calculates a variation in load on the IT resources.

Abstract: Polling method that encourages freely opinionated replies and makes for extensive collection of diverse replies. Free reply processing module 9 assigns an option ID to a free reply contained in reply data and associates this free reply with a survey ID and question ID and stores the same in a survey form database 41. A survey form creation module 6 creates a survey form page based on data in the survey form database 41 using HTML or the like and stores this on a Web server 3. The Web server 3 sends the stored survey form page to a respondent terminal 2.

Abstract: Simplified sharing of information among service-provision systems. A first message (Msg1) containing service information is transmitted from a first service-provision server (2a) to a first service controller (11 a) [#1], wherein it is interpreted, and, for example, a second message (Msg2) is created from the service information contained in the first message (Msg1) and is transmitted to a message router (12) [#2]. The second message (Msg2) is further sent to a router controller (14) and interpreted [#3], and an action rule is determined [#4]. The action rule is executed by the message router (12), whereby the second message (Msg2) is transmitted to a second service controller (11b) [#5]. As a result, a portion of the service information contained in the second message (Mesg2) is extracted, and a third message (Msg3) is created and transmitted to a second service-provision server (2b) [#6].

Abstract: Information is quickly offered to users who require the information. In a system in which questions and answers are exchanged, when a given user other than the questioner becomes interested in a question, the user requests a notification server 1 to present the question. The answers to the question are automatically sent to a notification client 2 of the user. The answers to be sent may be either all the answers to the question or only the effective answers. Supports to the answers and comments on the answers may be accepted to decide the effectiveness of the answers.

Abstract: Network information-distribution method and device for transmitting information utilizing information-exchange relationships among users. Information is transmitted from user 1 to all or a portion of user 1's buddies, e.g., users 12 and 13. Next, having received the information, users 12 and 13 then forward the information to their respective buddies. The information is forwarded, for example, to users 211 and 212 registered on user 12's buddy list 21. Likewise, the information is also transmitted to the user group registered on user 13's buddy list 22. By repeating this, buddy lists expressing information-exchange relationships among users are utilized to distribute the information to great numbers of persons.

Abstract: In on-line shopping in which ASPs are employed, merchandising method and device designed for promotion of product sales by sharing user use logs between product providers while protecting the users' privacy. If a user U1 has registered a CD for example in a shopping cart, merchandise relevant to the CD, e.g., tickets to a concert to be performed by the same artist, is suggested to the user. User U1's user ID is converted into an anonymous ID for an anonymous user A1. Merchandise name “CD” is converted into merchandise information associated with CDs, e.g., artist name or merchandise name “concert tickets.” This converted data is provided to a concert-ticket provider.

Abstract: The present invention is to efficiently exploit user needs. When a user registers a product in a favorites list, proxy server 2 saves the search parameters for that product. Proxy server 2 presents the search parameters saved in text or icon format to a user terminal 1, and accepts changes to the search parameters. Proxy server 2 receives a product purchase selection from user terminal 1, and saves the purchase history of the user. By presenting users' purchase histories to a vendor terminal 3 and the like, a product provider will know the degree to which what information presented to what user is effective. A product provider can effectively present information and promote an increase in sales.