Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method of managing trading is provided. In a market for a particular type of instrument, buy orders and sell orders are received from a plurality of traders. Each buy order has an associated bid price and each sell order has an associated offer price. A determination is made of whether the particular trading order is an outlying trading order by determining whether the particular trading order differs from at least one comparison price by more than a threshold value. If it is determined that the particular trading is an outlying trading order, a restrictive action is taken regarding the outlying trading order. For example, if a trader subsequently submits another trading order that would trade with the outlying trading order, an alert message may be sent to the trader and the subsequent trading order may be prevented from trading with the outlying trading order at least temporarily.

Abstract: A method and a system for analyzing infrastructure are provided. In one embodiment, a system for analyzing infrastructure is provided. The system includes a grid intelligence quotient as a service (GIQAAS) system. The GIQAAS system includes an infrastructure data gathering system having a first input form configured to collect an economic data related to an infrastructure. The GIQAAS system further includes an economic modeling system configured to import the economic data and to derive an economic analysis based on the economic data. The GIQAAS system is configured to provide the infrastructure data gathering system to a first user for collection of the economic data, and to provide the economic modeling system to a second user for derivation of the economic analysis.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a system includes a memory, a processor, and an interface. For a first region, the processor calculates a risk associated with a political situation of the first region, a risk associated with a legal situation of the first region, a risk associated with an economic situation of the first region, a risk associated with a social situation of the first region, a risk associated with a technological situation of the first region, and a risk associated with an environmental situation of the first region. For a first entity, the processor calculates a risk associated with an exposure level of the first entity in the first region. Based at least on these calculated risks, the processor calculates a ranking for the first region, the ranking representing an amount of risk to the first entity in the first region. The interface communicates the ranking for display.

Abstract: Templates are provided and used in an Information Technology (IT) environment. A template represents a pattern of resources and resource relationships of the IT environment. Templates are applied to automatically generate recommendations of programmatic representations of artifacts of the IT environment. The artifacts include Recovery Segments, Redundancy Groups, Business Resilience Manager deployment configurations and/or resource pairing represented by relationship data stores, as examples.

Abstract: Disclosed are various systems, methods, and other embodiments for processing and recording defects. In one embodiment, an application is executed in a server that processes and records defects detected by a user at a receiving station client. Based on a retrieved vendor profile, the application selects an inspection sequence for a user to execute. The inspection sequence is selected based on a history of defects specified in the vendor profile. The application also determines whether supervision is needed based on the performance of the user.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods that operate to assist in resolving both expected and unexpected events that occur in the course of business operations are disclosed. Activities may include detecting the occurrence of an alert event, determining whether the alert event is an expected event or an unexpected event, presenting a resolution sequence for the expected event, and soliciting a new event resolution path for the unexpected event. Further activities may include determining an alert event is an unexpected event, displaying an alert message associated with the unexpected event, and soliciting recommendations to form a new event resolution path to be presented upon determining a new event has occurred that is similar to the alert event. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: A health information gathering system for gathering information from at least one user. The health information gathering system includes a database storing information relating to a user and pertaining to at least two of the areas of information selected from a group consisting of nutritional information, psychological information, occupational information, physical information and personal history information, access to the information stored in the database being controlled by the user. The user can input information pertaining to the at least two areas of information selected from the group consisting of nutritional information, psychological information, occupational information, physical information and personal history information into the database, and the user can retrieve information from the database.

Abstract: Schedules which include reciprocal events, such as schedules for youth hockey leagues, can be created using a system in which users can invite one another to schedule games based on information selected through an interface and reciprocal dates which are automatically identified by a suitably programmed computer. Information related to games and schedules can be stored in a database which can be accessed and modified by different users depending on their roles and the permissions associated with those roles.

Abstract: A system for routing a trading order to a market center comprises a memory and a processor. The memory stores a trading order specifying a trading product. The processor determines a plurality of market center prices for the trading product, each market center price associated with at least one of a plurality of market centers. The processor selects one of the plurality of market centers based upon the determined market center prices. The processor further determines a disclosure policy for the selected market center and routes the trading order to the selected market center according to the determined disclosure policy.

Abstract: The invention generally relates to IT, and more particularly, to a method and system to achieve project-based diffusion of IT innovations. In accordance with aspects of the invention, the system comprises three integrated components. The first component is directed to the project management stages taken by an organization to deploy new technology innovations. This in turn consists of four stages: visioning, matching vision, deployment, and evaluation and improvement. The second component is directed to knowledge barriers to IT innovation diffusion. The third component is directed to critical success factors (CSF) of IT innovation implementations. In one embodiment the system includes of a Program Management Module (PMM) to implement corporate strategy for project management and to transform the organization into a learning one. In further embodiments, system is explained in detail using an example of ERP implementation.

Abstract: A holistic approach to management and oversight of locate and marking operations is provided. Initial requests to perform such operations are improved, and such requests are intelligently assessed to appropriately allocate resources to perform operations. Technicians are effectively dispatched and may be provided with process guides to facilitate performance. A host of information regarding the performance of locate operations and their environs is acquired (e.g., via improved intelligent instrumentation employed by technicians). A quality of operations (e.g., completeness, accuracy, efficiency) is assessed, corrective actions may be taken in essentially real-time as necessary, and information regarding operations and their quality assessments is archived for auditing purposes.

Abstract: A method of ranking a plurality of products includes obtaining a numerical user score for each of the plurality of products, calculating an opinion score for each of the plurality of products for which a written comparison sentiment applies, determining a final score by combining the numerical user rating and the opinion score for each of the plurality of products, and ranking the plurality of products based on the final score. The opinion score is derived from one or more written comparison sentiments containing a first product name and a second product name. In another aspect, a computer readable medium has instructions stored thereon which, when executed, cause a computer to perform a method of ranking a plurality of products including at least a first product and a second product.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and apparatuses for determining a value attributable to an automated teller machine (ATM). For example, in one embodiment, a method is provided that includes using a processor to determine a value attributable to an ATM based at least partially on a comparison of financial account information associated with ATM users to financial account information associated with non-ATM users.

Abstract: A system for semantically modeling relationships and dependencies between groups, enclosures, assets, and support entities according to an industry specific manner. An exemplary system includes a user interface device, a relational database and a processor. The processor receives relationship information and receives attributes with associated measurements for the groups, enclosures, assets, and support entities for the corporation from the user interface device. The attributes with associated measurements are formatted according the specific industry of the corporation. The processor generates a three dimensional (3D) visualization of the groups, enclosures, assets, and support entities and allows a virtual walkthrough of the 3D visualization as presented on the display device based on user entered commands from the user input device.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for charitable fund raising. The method can include the initial operation of identifying a charitable cause in need of funding. A further operation is providing a plurality of flags to be displayed as a healing field. The display of the healing field can be linked to the charitable cause in need of funding. The healing field can also be displayed as part of a public awareness campaign. Finally, the flags that are displayed in the healing field can be sold, with the profits from the sale going to the charitable cause in need of funding.

Abstract: A holistic approach to management and oversight of locate and marking operations is provided. Initial requests to perform such operations are improved, and such requests are intelligently assessed to appropriately allocate resources to perform operations. Technicians are effectively dispatched and may be provided with process guides to facilitate performance. A host of information regarding the performance of locate operations and their environs is acquired (e.g., via improved intelligent instrumentation employed by technicians). A quality of operations (e.g., completeness, accuracy, efficiency) is assessed, corrective actions may be taken in essentially real-time as necessary, and information regarding operations and their quality assessments is archived for auditing purposes.

Abstract: Managing foreign payments using separate conduits for messaging and payments. An originating depository financial institution can create an F3X message designating a fixed amount of foreign currency to be credited to, or debited from, a receiving depository financial institution. The originating depository financial institution transmits the F3X message to a domestic gateway operator via an ACH network. The domestic gateway operator then forwards the F3X message to a foreign gateway operator. Separately, the originating depository financial institution transmits a payment to the foreign gateway operator either directly or via a correspondent financial institution. The foreign gateway operator matches the payment to the F3X message and transmits the payment to the receiving depository financial institution.

Abstract: A method and computer program product for maintaining, on a first computing device, consumer identification and billing information concerning a user. A directory of ecommerce merchants is maintained on a second computing device. The first computing device and the second computing device are interfaced via a distributed computing network. The user is enabled to select an ecommerce merchant defined within the directory of ecommerce merchants. The order of goods/services from the selected ecommerce merchant to the user using the consumer identification and billing information maintained on the first computing device is facilitated.

Abstract: A method, system, and/or computer program product predicts trouble during a transition phase of a current project. Past operational data and past trouble data for past healthy projects and past troubled projects before transition phases is collected. A trouble correlation between the past operational data and the past trouble data is then determined. A set of key metrics that describes a current health of a current project before transitioning from a current phase to a future phase is defined, and values of the set of key metrics for the current project are identified. Identified values of the set of key metrics for the current project are compared to the past operational data for past healthy and troubled projects in order to generate a pattern comparison. This pattern comparison, along with the trouble correlation, is used to generate a predicted quality of transition for the current project.

Abstract: Systems and methods for polling populations. In one embodiment, a method includes forming a respondent pool (which can be, 10% of the population), and polling the pool at first time in a roiling period. The method also includes randomly replacing a fraction (20% in some embodiments) of the respondents with respondents who were previously polled more than one rolling period ago. The poll is then repeated and the results compared with the results from about one rolling period before. The population can be small enough that the results tend to exhibit skew and kurtosis. In some embodiments, the skew can be outside of the range of ?0.8 to 0.8 and the kurtosis can be either leptokurtic or platykurtic. The organization taking the poll can have an ongoing relationship with the population. Some embodiments include an order taking system for a merchant (such as a promotional goods merchant) along with a polling system.