Abstract: Reference architecture pattern role data representing reference architecture pattern roles to be associated with entities taking part in the development, and/or deployment, and/or operation of an application is generated. Reference architecture pattern tier data representing reference architecture pattern tiers used to create, and/or deploy, and/or operate an application using the reference architecture pattern is generated. For each reference architecture pattern role at least one access and/or operational permission is associated with each reference architecture pattern tier. An entity is assigned one of the reference architecture pattern roles and for each reference architecture pattern tier, the entity is automatically provided the at least one access and/or operational permission associated with the reference architecture pattern role assigned to the entity.

Abstract: A method and system evaluates analytics modules to improve a personalization of tax questions delivered to a user in a tax return preparation system, according to one embodiment. The method and system retrieves historical tax return data and selects one or more interchangeable analytics modules for evaluation with the historical tax return data, according to one embodiment. The method and system applies the historical tax return data to the one or more analytics modules that are selected for evaluation, according to one embodiment. The method and system receives analytics outputs from the one or more analytics modules, in response to applying the historical tax return data, according to one embodiment. The method and system determines an effectiveness of each of the one or more analytics modules by correlating the analytics outputs with at least part of the historical tax return data, according to one embodiment.

Abstract: A method to customize an online software application. The method includes displaying, using a user interface of the online software application, a message inviting user contribution to a customizable component of the online software application, receiving, from an initial seed user via a network connection and in response to displaying the message, a structural specification of the customizable component suggested by the initial seed user according to a requirement based on an attribute of the initial seed user, determining that a new user of the online software application matches the attribute of the initial seed user, and configuring, based on the structural specification of the customizable component suggested by the initial seed user, an instantiation of the online software application for the new user to perform a pre-determined task according to the requirement.

Abstract: Asset security compliance data ensuring defined asset security policies are applied to the creation and/or operation of assets to be used to implement an application and application deployment security compliance data for ensuring compliance with one or more application deployment security policies associated with the deployment of assets used to implement the application is generated. The asset security compliance data is then used to ensure each asset used to implement the application is created and used in compliance with asset security policies and the application deployment security compliance data is used to ensure that each asset used to implement the application is deployed in compliance with the application deployment security policies.

Abstract: A virtual asset creation template associated with a class of virtual assets is identified and analyzed to identify and remedy vulnerabilities in the virtual asset creation template. If no vulnerability is identified in the virtual asset creation template, or once each vulnerability identified in the virtual asset creation template is remedied, each virtual asset of the virtual asset class generated using the virtual asset creation template is assigned an initial status of verified virtual asset. Instructions are generated for monitoring and detecting one or more trigger events in assets as well as instructions for implementing at least one responsive action associated with each of the one or more trigger events. Assets monitor and detect one or more trigger events and associated responsive actions are then performed upon the trigger event being detected.

Abstract: A system and method for deploying predictive models is presented which personalizes application program functionality and user interface presentation to the consumer user. That personalization takes place within a decision engine that decouples decision models from application processes so that rapid deployment may take place. When a consumer user specific decision is required, the application program interacts with the decision model to trigger a consumer-user appropriate decision tailored to characteristics of the consumer user. New models are introduced into a decision process without requiring any application program change.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that authenticates a user. During operation, the system identifies a first tenant associated with a first request for a first resource from the user and obtains an authentication policy for the first tenant. Next, the system uses an authentication mechanism associated with the authentication policy to authenticate the user. Upon authenticating the user, the system provides a first security token for enabling access to the first resource by the user.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of acquiring tax data for use in tax preparation application includes acquiring an image of at least one document containing tax data therein with an imaging device. A computer extracts one or more features from the acquired image of the at least one document and compares the extracted one or more features to a database containing a plurality of different tax forms. The database may include a textual database and/or geometric database. The computer identifies a tax form corresponding to the at least one document from the plurality of different tax forms based at least in part on a confidence level associated with the comparison of the extracted one or more features to the database. At least a portion of the tax data from the acquired image is transferred into corresponding fields of the tax preparation application.

Abstract: A service provider computing environment includes a service provider computing device, which receives tenant secrets policies from tenants. The tenants are tenants of multi-tenant assets of a service provider. One or more data security zones in which the multi-tenant assets are located are identified. A service provider secrets policy includes data security jurisdiction zone secrets policy data for the one or more data security jurisdiction zones. The data security jurisdiction zone secrets policy data is analyzed to determine allowed secrets data with respect to each of the identified data security jurisdiction zones. The service provider computing environment determines of the tenant secrets policies satisfy the requirements of the service provider secrets policy. If the tenant secrets policies satisfy the requirements of the service provider secrets policy, the service provider computing environment allows the tenant secrets policies to be applied to tenant data or information in the multi-tenant assets.

Abstract: A technique for enrolling an individual for a service is described. During this enrollment technique, a match between an identifier provided by and associated with the individual is determined with an existing identifier associated with another service. If there is a correspondence between the service and the other service, enrollment information from the other service is used in an enrollment process for the service, which allows a subset of the enrollment process to be performed. Otherwise, the full enrollment process for the service is performed. In this case, reconciliation of the identifier and the existing identifier (for example, asking the individual if they also use the other service) is delayed until after the enrollment process is completed.

Abstract: A method for providing user content that may receive, from a user device, a request for content. The method may obtain, in response to the request, a field identifier from a multiple of field identifiers according to a priority for a multiple of fields corresponding to the field identifiers. The field identifier may correspond to a field. The method may obtain application content based on the field identifier. The method may generate declarative content from the application content. The declarative content may express the application content in a declarative programming language. The method may transmit, to the user device, the declarative content.

Abstract: A method and system selects one or more interchangeable analytics modules for use in a tax return preparation system to provide a customized electronic tax return preparation interview to a user, according to one embodiment. The method and system receive user data associated with a user, according to one embodiment. The method and system apply one of a number of selection techniques to determine which of one or more analytics modules to use within the tax return preparation system, according to one embodiment. The method and system apply the one or more analytics modules to the user data to determine the relevance of tax return preparation interview questions to the user, according to one embodiment. The method and system deliver tax return preparation interview questions to the user, based on the determined relevance of the number of tax return preparation interview questions to the user, according to one embodiment.

Abstract: A method for providing user content may obtain multiple fields. The method may generate, by a user content flow driver, a priority field list for an application workflow. The method may sort the fields based on the priority field list to obtain sorted fields. The method may select a next field from the sorted fields to obtain a selected next field. The method may generate content based on the selected next field. The method may transmit, to a user experience player, the generated content.

Abstract: A method for storage retrieval, including receiving a request for application content. The request includes a first field identifier. The method further includes submitting a query to a content repository, for each asset including the first field identifier, receiving a first asset including the first field identifier and a second asset including the first field identifier, and extracting a first variability tag from the first asset and a second variability tag from the second asset based on the first asset having a matching asset property value to the second asset. The first asset and second asset are scored based at least on the first variability tag and at least on the second variability tag to obtain a first and second score, respectively. The method further includes selecting the first asset based on the first score and the second score, and transmitting the first asset as the application content.

Abstract: A method for organizing an application workflow for users that may transmit, to a user device, a first content for a first field of multiple fields. The method may receive, in response to transmitting the first content and from the user device, user data for the first field. The method may obtain a dynamic set of fields selected from the fields, where a portion of the fields are excluded from the dynamic set of fields based on the user data. The method may select, according to a priority of the fields, a second field from the dynamic set of fields. The method may transmit, to the user device, a second content for the second field.

Abstract: A method and system for selecting a product to advertise. The method includes receiving an advertisement request from an application, generating a plurality of nodes corresponding to a plurality of user-entered text strings received from a user by the application, sending, to a marketplace system, a plurality of search queries for the plurality of user-entered text strings, and receiving a plurality of product identifier in response to the plurality of search queries. The method further includes determining a plurality of edges corresponding to the plurality of product identifiers, generating a cluster using the plurality of nodes and the plurality of edges, selecting a product identifier of the plurality of product identifiers to obtain a selected product identifier, and providing, to the application, the selected product identifier, wherein the application displays, to the user, an advertisement for the product identified by the product identifier.

Abstract: During an information-extraction technique, visual suitability indicators may be displayed to a user of the electronic device to assist the user in acquiring an image of a document that is suitable for subsequent extraction of textual information. For example, an imaging application executed by the electronic device may display, in a window associated with the imaging application, a visual suitability indicator of a tilt orientation of the electronic device relative to a plane of the document. When the tilt orientation falls within a predefined range, the electronic device may modify the visual suitability indicators to provide visual feedback to the user. Then, the electronic device may acquire the image of the document using an imaging device, which is integrated into the electronic device. Next, the electronic device may extract the textual information from the image of the document using optical character recognition.

Abstract: A method and system for providing a security threat scoring service to identify and prioritize potential security threats to an online service. The method and system include determining security threat patterns, comparing traffic to the online system with the security threat patterns, and identifying portions of the traffic as a potential security threat. The method and system include assigning a threat score to the potential security threat, and providing the threat score to the online service to enable the online service to secure against the potential security threat.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates user interaction. During operation, the system obtains user data for a first user and a second user connected to the first user in a social network. Next, the system uses the user data to calculate one or more influence scores between the first and second users. The system then constructs an influence graph of a set of users comprising the first and second users by creating a first node representing the first user, creating a second node representing the second user, and using the one or more influence scores as edge weights of directed edges between the first and second nodes. Finally, the system uses the influence graph to facilitate interaction among the users.

Abstract: A portable electronic device provides signals corresponding to information to a display that allows a viewer to perceive 3-dimensional (3-D) depth, where the information includes multiple icons in a user interface that are arranged in 2-dimensional (2-D) fields that are spatially offset along a direction orthogonal to the 2-D fields. Then, the portable electronic device captures spatial-position information (such as a distance with respect to a surface of the display) associated with at least a digit of the viewer. The portable electronic device analyzes the spatial-position information to determine a change in a 3-D spatial position of at least the digit, and associates the change in the 3-D spatial position with at least one of the icons. Next, the portable electronic device performs the operation based on the change in the 3-D spatial position and at least the one of the icons.