Abstract: In a method of moderating action requests and structured communications within an observation platform, in response to a request interaction a computer system sets up an action request regarding a structured communication in the observation platform. The computer system analyzes the action request with respect to context in the observation platform, where the context is one of user context in the observation platform and device context in the observation platform. The computer system analyzes the action request with respect to status in the observation platform, where the status is one of user status in the observation platform and device status in the observation platform. The computer system moderates an action in the observation platform with respect to the structured communication based on results of the context and status analyses.

Abstract: In a method of observation platform collaboration integration, a collaboration application is provisioned at an observation platform. The provisioning is administered by a cloud services platform in collaboration with a computer system of the observation platform and includes configuration and deployment of the collaboration application within the observation platform. An automation software component is sent from the collaboration application for resident installation at an external collaboration application which is external to an environment of the observation platform. The automation software component organizes information in the external retailer system for exchange, via a cloud-based gateway, with the collaboration application. The collaboration application is communicatively coupled, via the cloud-based gateway, with the external collaboration application. User information and task information are synchronized between the collaboration application and the external collaboration application.

Abstract: In a method of managing emergency management information within an observation platform an emergency management and response application is provisioned at an observation platform. The provisioning is administered by a cloud services platform and includes configuration and deployment of the emergency management and response application within the observation platform. In response to receipt at the observation platform of a report of an emergency, operation of the emergency management and response application is triggered within the observation platform. Emergency management information is sent, via the emergency management and response application, to a group of users of the observation platform. The emergency management information includes at least one of an alert related to the emergency and instructions related to the emergency.

Abstract: A method for collecting data and deriving performance metrics for one or more users within an observation platform environment is described. The method includes recognizing a user identity based on signals from the communications device; Capturing a user's voice message and the secondary signal indicative of the location of the communications device or the relative proximity of the communications device to other devices; Deriving statistical data comprising: primary statistics, secondary statistics, and higher-order statistics from the secondary signal and voice message; and Storing the user identity, the voice message, the location of the communications device, and the statistical data in a database forming a user record, wherein the user record is processed by an inference engine to derive performance information about the user.

Abstract: One or more users in an observation platform environment is provided with a communications device capable of sending a user's voice and a secondary signal containing information regarding a location or relative proximity of the communications device. An observation platform is provided and has a communications system for receiving and sending data from and to at least one of the communications devices and a computer system configured to recognize the identity of a user of the users, based on signals from the communications device; capture, from the communications device, the secondary signal and a voice message of the user; derive statistical data about employee performance of the user; store the user identity, voice message, location, and statistical data in an employee performance library associated with the user; and generate at least one performance metric entry for the user, based on the performance information, into the employee performance library.

Abstract: In a method of managing structured communications within an observation platform, responsive to a request interaction, a computer system sets up an action request regarding a structured communication in the observation platform. The computer system analyzes the action request with respect to a programmable policy of the observation platform and applications installed on the observation platform. The computer system analyzes the action request with respect to context in the observation platform, where the context is one of user context in the observation platform and device context in the observation platform. The computer system analyzes the action request with respect to status in the observation platform, where the status is one of user status in the observation platform and device status in the observation platform. The computer system moderates an action in the observation platform with respect to the structured communication based on results of the policy, context, and status analyses.

Abstract: In a method of managing emergency management information within an observation platform an emergency management and response application is provisioned at an observation platform. The provisioning is administered by a cloud services platform and includes configuration and deployment of the emergency management and response application within the observation platform. A communicative connection is established, via a gateway of the cloud services platform, between the emergency management and response application and a system external to the observation platform. In response to receipt at the observation platform of a report of an emergency, operation of the emergency management and response application is triggered within the observation platform. Emergency management information is sent, via the emergency management and response application, to a group of users of the observation platform.

Abstract: In a method of observation platform buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS) integration, a BOPIS application is provisioned at an observation platform. The provisioning is administered by a cloud services platform in collaboration with a computer system of the observation platform and includes configuration and deployment of the BOPIS application within the observation platform. An automation software component is sent from the BOPIS application for resident installation at an external retailer system which is external to an environment of the observation platform. The automation software component organizes information in the external retailer system for exchange, via a cloud-based gateway, with the BOPIS application. A message regarding a BOPIS order populated in the external retailer system is received at the BOPIS application from the external retailer system. The observation platform sends, to a device of a user of the observation platform, a task request to perform a task related to the message.

Abstract: In a method of managing structured communications within an observation platform, responsive to a request interaction, a computer system sets up an action request regarding a structured communication in the observation platform. The computer system analyzes the action request with respect to a programmable policy of the observation platform and applications installed on the observation platform. The computer system analyzes the action request with respect to context in the observation platform, where the context is one of user context in the observation platform and device context in the observation platform. The computer system analyzes the action request with respect to status in the observation platform, where the status is one of user status in the observation platform and device status in the observation platform. The computer system moderates an action in the observation platform with respect to the structured communication based on results of the policy, context, and status analyses.

Abstract: In a method of observation platform buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS) integration, a BOPIS application is provisioned at an observation platform. The provisioning is administered by a cloud services platform in collaboration with a computer system of the observation platform and includes configuration and deployment of the BOPIS application within the observation platform. An automation software component is sent from the BOPIS application for resident installation at an external retailer system which is external to an environment of the observation platform. The automation software component organizes information in the external retailer system for exchange, via a cloud-based gateway, with the BOPIS application. A message regarding a BOPIS order populated in the external retailer system is received at the BOPIS application from the external retailer system. The observation platform sends, to a device of a user of the observation platform, a task request to perform a task related to the message.

Abstract: In a method of managing emergency management information within an observation platform an emergency management and response application is provisioned at an observation platform. The provisioning is administered by a cloud services platform and includes configuration and deployment of the emergency management and response application within the observation platform. A communicative connection is established, via a gateway of the cloud services platform, between the emergency management and response application and a system external to the observation platform. In response to receipt at the observation platform of a report of an emergency, operation of the emergency management and response application is triggered within the observation platform. Emergency management information is sent, via the emergency management and response application, to a group of users of the observation platform.

Abstract: One or more users in an observation platform environment is provided with a communications device capable of sending a user's voice and a secondary signal containing information regarding a location or relative proximity of the communications device. An observation platform is provided and has a communications system for receiving and sending data from and to at least one of the communications devices and a computer system configured to recognize the identity of a user of the users, based on signals from the communications device; capture, from the communications device, the secondary signal and a voice message of the user; derive statistical data about employee performance of the user; store the user identity, voice message, location, and statistical data in an employee performance library associated with the user; and generate at least one performance metric entry for the user, based on the performance information, into the employee performance library.

Abstract: An observation platform determines relative responsiveness of enterprise employees to requests by external systems. A computer system of the observation platform monitors responses and actions of users to requests from external systems from a plurality of communication devices routed through a radio access point associated with the computer system. Each of the communication devices is associated with a user who is an employee in an enterprise. Information is extracted from the communications including users' identities. Performance of a plurality of the users is measured based on aspects of the extracted information related to the relative responsiveness to requests from the external systems. The requests are posed by the external systems and responded to via the communications devices. A numerical ranking of the measured performance by each of the plurality of measured users, with respect to others of the plurality of measured users, at responding to the requests is assigned.

Abstract: In a method of observation platform buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS) integration, a BOPIS application is provisioned at an observation platform. The provisioning is administered by a cloud services platform in collaboration with a computer system of the observation platform and includes configuration and deployment of the BOPIS application within the observation platform. An automation software component is sent from the BOPIS application for resident installation at an external retailer system which is external to an environment of the observation platform. The automation software component organizes information in the external retailer system for exchange, via a cloud-based gateway, with the BOPIS application. A message regarding a BOPIS order populated in the external retailer system is received at the BOPIS application from the external retailer system. The observation platform sends, to a device of a user of the observation platform, a task request to perform a task related to the message.

Abstract: In a method of managing emergency management information within an observation platform an emergency management and response application is provisioned at an observation platform. The provisioning is administered by a cloud services platform and includes configuration and deployment of the emergency management and response application within the observation platform. A communicative connection is established, via a gateway of the cloud services platform, between the emergency management and response application and a system external to the observation platform. In response to receipt at the observation platform of a report of an emergency, operation of the emergency management and response application is triggered within the observation platform. Emergency management information is sent, via the emergency management and response application, to a group of users of the observation platform.

Abstract: In a method of managing structured communications within an observation platform, responsive to a request interaction, a computer system sets up an action request regarding a structured communication in the observation platform. The computer system analyzes the action request with respect to a programmable policy of the observation platform and applications installed on the observation platform. The computer system analyzes the action request with respect to context in the observation platform, where the context is one of user context in the observation platform and device context in the observation platform. The computer system analyzes the action request with respect to status in the observation platform, where the status is one of user status in the observation platform and device status in the observation platform. The computer system moderates an action in the observation platform with respect to the structured communication based on results of the policy, context, and status analyses.

Abstract: A method for collecting data and deriving performance metrics for one or more users within an observation platform environment is described. The method includes recognizing a user identity based on signals from the communications device; Capturing a user's voice message and the secondary signal indicative of the location of the communications device or the relative proximity of the communications device to other devices; Deriving statistical data comprising: primary statistics, secondary statistics, and higher-order statistics from the secondary signal and voice message; and Storing the user identity, the voice message, the location of the communications device, and the statistical data in a database forming a user record, wherein the user record is processed by an inference engine to derive performance information about the user.

Abstract: In a method of using an observation platform to determine relative expertise of enterprise employees, a computer system of the observation platform monitors communications from and to a plurality of communication devices which have been routed through a radio access point associated with the computer system. Each of the communication devices is associated with a user who is an employee in an enterprise. The computer system extracts information from the communications including identities of the users. The computer system measures performance of a plurality of the users based on aspects of the extracted information which are related to questions on one or more of products and processes of the enterprise, wherein the questions are posed and responded to via the communications devices. The computer system assigns a numerical ranking of the measured performance by each of the measured users, with respect to other measured users, at responding to the questions.

Abstract: In a method of using an observation platform to determine relative expertise of enterprise employees, a computer system of the observation platform monitors communications from and to a plurality of communication devices which have been routed through a radio access point associated with the computer system. Each of the communication devices is associated with a user who is an employee in an enterprise. The computer system extracts information from the communications including identities of the users. The computer system measures performance of a plurality of the users based on aspects of the extracted information which are related to questions on one or more of products and processes of the enterprise, wherein the questions are posed and responded to via the communications devices. The computer system assigns a numerical ranking of the measured performance by each of the measured users, with respect to other measured users, at responding to the questions.

Abstract: A method for collecting data and deriving performance metrics for one or more users within an observation platform environment is described. The method includes recognizing a user identity based on signals from the communications device; Capturing a user's voice message and the secondary signal indicative of the location of the communications device or the relative proximity of the communications device to other devices; Deriving statistical data comprising: primary statistics, secondary statistics, and higher-order statistics from the secondary signal and voice message; and Storing the user identity, the voice message, the location of the communications device, and the statistical data in a database forming a user record, wherein the user record is processed by an inference engine to derive performance information about the user.