Abstract: A system and method are provided for autonomic system management in a computing system containing system resources including network resources and multiple resource demands, or processes. The computing system may be a stream-processing system or other real-time computer management system, such as workload management, or a virtualization engine. The system and method enables achieving a better level of performance than would occur in the computing system using only existing mechanism. It permits, with very low computational overhead, achieving or driving the system closer to a user-defined system performance objective. To do so, a system performance equation is defined to determine a level of performance of the system as a function of the allocation of two or more system resources among a plurality of system resource demands or processes. From this system performance equation, a plurality of resource-specific change equations is derived.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for predicting traffic on a transportation network where real time data points are missing. In one embodiment, the missing data is estimated using a calibration model comprised of historical data that can be periodically updated, from select links constituting a relationship vector. The missing data can be estimated off-line whereafter it can be used to predict traffic for at least a part of the network, the traffic prediction being calculated by using a deviation from a historical traffic on the network. The invention further discloses a method for in-vehicle navigation; and a method for traffic prediction for a single lane.

Abstract: A computerized method (and apparatus) for coalition formation. One or more coalitional and/or service constraints are received and a feedback mechanism is provided for the coalition formation, as based on the coalitional and/or service constraints.

Abstract: A system and method configured that may allow performing a human-computer verification including crediting a verified task from a first user to a second user. In additional embodiments, may allow the user to perform a computer operation that require human-computer verification based upon an amount of credits that the user has been provided.

Abstract: A method (and structure) for providing services for wireless hotspots. The services are offered to selectively include bundled hotspots as well as single hotspots.

Abstract: A method and structure of estimating traffic in a network. A real-time estimate of the network traffic is calculated, based on limited real-time data about the network traffic calculated in an offline phase and limited real-time data received in a real-time phase.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for autonomic system management in a computing system containing system resources including network resources and multiple resource demands, or processes. The computing system may be a stream-processing system or other real-time computer management system, such as workload management, or a virtualization engine. The system and method enables achieving a better level of performance than would occur in the computing system using only existing mechanism. It permits, with very low computational overhead, achieving or driving the system closer to a user-defined system performance objective. To do so, a system performance equation is defined to determine a level of performance of the system as a function of the allocation of two or more system resources among a plurality of system resource demands or processes. From this system performance equation, a plurality of resource-specific change equations is derived.

Abstract: A method and structure for pricing a good or service to a customer includes a calculator that executes a pricing model that includes a dimension of a utility of the good or service to the customer.

Abstract: A method (and system) for providing a forecast, the method including providing a multi-dimensional database storing data at a lowest level in a first dimension, calculating a first forecast at a level that is higher than the lowest level of a first dimension in the database, calculating a forecast for each category within the lowest level of the first dimension, aggregating a second forecast across all categories at the lowest level of the first dimension based upon an aggregation of the calculated forecasts for each category within the lowest level of the first dimension, determining a difference between the first forecast and the second forecast, and storing the difference in a dummy category at the lowest level of the first dimension.

Abstract: There are provided an apparatus, a method, and a computer program product for joint determination of price and resource allocation. The apparatus includes a price and resource allocation determination device for jointly determining a price and a resource allocation for a given item or service offered for use or sale by a given e-retailer to optimize a pre-specified objective for the given e-retailer.

Abstract: Techniques for provision of on-demand utility services utilizing a yield management framework are disclosed. For example, in one illustrative aspect of the invention, a system for managing one or more computing resources associated with a computing center comprises: (i) a resource management subsystem for managing the one or more computing resources associated with the computing center, wherein the computing center is able to provide one or more computing services in response to one or more customer demands; and (ii) a yield management subsystem coupled to the resource management subsystem, wherein the yield management subsystem optimizes provision of the one or more computing services in accordance with the resource management subsystem and the one or more computing resources.

Abstract: A method of choosing jobs to run in a stream based distributed computer system includes determining jobs to be run in a distributed stream-oriented system by deciding a priority threshold above which jobs will be accepted, below which jobs will be rejected. Overall importance is maximized relative to the priority threshold based on importance values assigned to all jobs. System constraints are applied to ensure jobs meet set criteria.

Abstract: There are provided an apparatus, a method, and a computer program product for joint determination of price and capacity. The apparatus includes a price and capacity determination device for jointly determining a price and a capacity for a given item offered for sale by a given e-retailer, based at least upon market competition.

Abstract: A method of establishing business contracts with penalty credits for service level agreement violations, including determining business goals of a customer, determining business goals of a provider, determining benefits and losses of the customer as function of a service offered by the provider, determining benefits and losses of a provider as a function of the service offered to the customer, determining a type of service level agreement metric to be monitored and measured, determining an interval over which penalties are assessed, determining a particular target value of the service level agreement metric, determining a means of evaluating the service level agreement metric, and computing an optimal penalty credit structure achieving the business goals of the customer.

Abstract: A structure and method includes a detector to determine that a caller is waiting for service. A presentation module presents an advertisement to the waiting caller, wherein a compensation is paid to have the advertisement presented to the waiting caller.

Abstract: A system (and method) for allocating a contact to a vendor includes determining a real-time allocation of contact based upon one of a client-to-service provider payment structure, a service provider-to-vendor payment structure, and a real-time client contact handling demand.

Abstract: A method (and system) for contact center management contract evaluation including determining a potential profitability/risk for contact center management based upon a proposed contract term between one of a client and a service provider, and a service provider and a vendor.

Abstract: A method and structure for predicting traffic on a network, includes a receiver which receives data related to traffic on at least a portion of a network. A calculator calculates a traffic prediction for at least a part of the network, the traffic prediction being calculated by using a deviation from a historical traffic on the network.

Abstract: A method and structure for computing a capacity-dependent price for an on-demand scenario includes a demand model module that stores a demand model for the on-demand scenario. A supply model module stores an evaluation of at least one of available and total supply for the on-demand scenario. A computing module relates the demand and supply for the on-demand scenario and computes a capacity-dependent price.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention proposes to describe an enterprise or company in terms of its structure and represent that structure in performing revenue forecasts for the enterprise or company. Mapping the company structure in a multi-dimensional matrix, for example, can represent that structure. The revenue forecasting method is novel in that forecasts for any level of the enterprise or company make use of data and previous forecasts for that and other elements of the structure. In this way, the method improves upon existing methods by leveraging information contained in some data on other data, and learning the relations between them.