Abstract: A system and method tracks touches in a healthcare environment in order to analyze paths of transmission and contamination for the purpose of eliminating and containing transmission of colonizing, drug-resistant pathogens. Touches are identified and tracked with the use of recording devices. Each touch is logged and a touch graph is generated to identify transmission paths.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel system and method for continual simulation of the optimal deployment of selecting one or more geographic locations for production of a good or service. Synthetic nodes and hypothetical configurations may be introduced into the mapping, or existing nodes removed, and the estimated communication, and thus performance, cost of these changes automatically and continuously calculated. The energy of the resultant composite order embedding algorithm is measured with the addition of one or more collections of instantiated or synthetic test nodes. In a case when the energy of the order embedding algorithm is sufficiently lower in one configuration than another, a decision module (DM) may be used to automatically determine whether the nodes corresponding to the test nodes should be planned.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for generating a preview of a digital content item using social network analysis. Members of a social network who acquire the digital content item may identify interesting portions of the digital content. When a member of the social network requests a preview of the digital content item, typically in anticipation of an acquisition of the digital content item, the interesting portions of the digital content item identified by fellow social network members are considered in the generation of the preview. Selection of the interesting content for preview may include more identified content, as well as social network relationship and role magnitudes. The digital content item may include: text, such as books or articles; multimedia such as audio/video; and interactive, such as games or virtual worlds.

Abstract: A system and method for communicating information between vehicle operators. The method includes receiving a request from a send vehicle operator to communicate a vehicle information message from a send vehicle. The method also includes generating the vehicle information message at the send vehicle. The method further includes sending the vehicle information message from the send vehicle to a receive vehicle.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for managing a plurality of services in a service catalog. Metadata is received about one or more services. The metadata is analyzed to determine whether to perform a management activity on the service catalog, the management activity including recommending one or more services in the service catalog or coupling two or more services in the service catalog. If it is determined that the received metadata is insufficient, a signal is generated to gather additional metadata within a time period the metadata is determined to be insufficient.

Abstract: Systems, methods and computer program products for modifying of service levels based on contextual data of meeting entries in electronic calendars. An example system includes an electronic calendar module executed by a central processing unit. The electronic calendar module is configured to store a meeting entry for a scheduled meeting. The meeting entry includes contextual data for the scheduled meeting. A context-determining module is configured to determine a context for the scheduled meeting based on the contextual data. A service-modifying module is configured to automatically modify a service level of the scheduled meeting based on the context of the scheduled meeting.

Abstract: Systems, methods and computer program products for modifying of service levels based on contextual data of meeting entries in electronic calendars. An example system includes an electronic calendar module executed by a central processing unit. The electronic calendar module is configured to store a meeting entry for a scheduled meeting. The meeting entry includes contextual data for the scheduled meeting. A context-determining module is configured to determine a context for the scheduled meeting based on the contextual data. A service-modifying module is configured to automatically modify a service level of the scheduled meeting based on the context of the scheduled meeting.

Abstract: A system, method and computer product for managing resources for tasks. An example system includes a rules database storing requirements and restrictions associated with a task. A graphical user interface contains resource icons of resources that can, at least partially, fulfill the requirements of the task and a virtual service agent (VSA) icon of a VSA associated with the task. When a resource icon is attempted to be dragged and dropped onto the VSA icon, the graphical user interface permits or prohibits the dragging and dropping responsive to a rules-checking module that checks violations of the restrictions. Furthermore, an agent-checking module ensures that at least one resource includes a software agent configured to answer natural language questions. The software agent queries data repositories and applies language processing, information retrieval, and machine learning to arrive at a conclusion.

Abstract: A system, method and computer product for managing resources for tasks. An example system includes a rules database storing requirements and restrictions associated with a task. A graphical user interface contains resource icons of resources that can, at least partially, fulfill the requirements of the task and a virtual service agent (VSA) icon of a VSA associated with the task. When a resource icon is attempted to be dragged and dropped onto the VSA icon, the graphical user interface permits or prohibits the dragging and dropping responsive to a rules-checking module that checks violations of the restrictions. Furthermore, an agent-checking module ensures that at least one resource includes a software agent configured to answer natural language questions. The software agent queries data repositories and applies language processing, information retrieval, and machine learning to arrive at a conclusion.

Abstract: A method for tracking user participation in a shared media session. A shared media session is connected to, where the shared media session includes a plurality of participants. A first identity is determined for a first participant with a first confidence level. The first participant is identified as the first identity if the first confidence level is above a first threshold. An amount of participation is tracked for the first identity. The amount of participation by the first identity is displayed on an electronic calendar for the shared media session to the plurality of participants.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product for tracking user participation in a shared media session. A shared media session is connected to, where the shared media session includes a plurality of participants. A first identity is determined for a first participant with a first confidence level. The first participant is identified as the first identity if the first confidence level is above a first threshold. An amount of participation is tracked for the first identity. The amount of participation by the first identity is displayed on an electronic calendar for the shared media session to the plurality of participants.

Abstract: A method for reducing noise in a shared media session. An indication is received from one or more of the participants in the shared media session. If the received indication is a first indication that indicates a background noise is present in the shared media session, the following steps are performed: a first counter is incremented for each of the first indications received from one or more of the plurality of participants, it is determined whether a background noise is present in the shared media session if the first counter exceeds a first threshold, an the shared media session is selectively muted such that the background noise is reduced if the background noise is determined to be present in the shared media session.

Abstract: A method for listing a service in a service catalog. Feedback is received about a candidate service that is used to determine a score for the candidate service. It is determined whether the score for the candidate service exceeds a first threshold. If the score for the candidate service exceeds the first threshold, the candidate service is listed as a published service in the service catalog. Feedback is received about the published service that is used to determine a score for the published service. It is determined whether the score for the published service exceeds a second threshold. If the score for the published service exceeds the second threshold, a signal is sent to a service actualization unit to actualize the published service.

Abstract: A system and computer program product for listing a service in a service catalog. Feedback is received about a candidate service that is used to determine a score for the candidate service. It is determined whether the score for the candidate service exceeds a first threshold. If the score for the candidate service exceeds the first threshold, the candidate service is listed as a published service in the service catalog. Feedback is received about the published service that is used to determine a score for the published service. It is determined whether the score for the published service exceeds a second threshold. If the score for the published service exceeds the second threshold, a signal is sent to a service actualization unit to actualize the published service.

Abstract: Systems and methods provide at least one software application to users from a software monitor computer server. The software application requires a license grant for use. The software monitor computer server tracks usage of the software application to develop historical use patterns. The software monitor computer server also receives calendar input from electronic calendars of the users and analyzing the calendar input to identify future calendared uses of the software application. This allows the software monitor computer server to predict the future license grant needs of the software application based on the historical use patterns and the future calendared uses of the software application. The software monitor computer server also provides substitute software applications to the users when an insufficient number of license grants are available to meet the future calendared uses of the software application.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for managing a plurality of services in a service catalog. Metadata is received about one or more services. The metadata is analyzed to determine whether to perform a management activity on the service catalog, the management activity including recommending one or more services in the service catalog or coupling two or more services in the service catalog. If it is determined that the received metadata is insufficient, a signal is generated to gather additional metadata within a time period the metadata is determined to be insufficient.

Abstract: A system and method for communicating information between vehicle operators. The method includes receiving a request from a send vehicle operator to communicate a vehicle information message from a send vehicle. The method also includes generating the vehicle information message at the send vehicle. The method further includes sending the vehicle information message from the send vehicle to a receive vehicle.

Abstract: A system and method for scheduling meetings at conflicting times. The method includes receiving from a meeting requestor a request to schedule a proposed meeting at a time interval. The method also includes determining that the time interval includes a conflicting meeting in an electronic calendar of at least one proposed meeting invitee. The method further includes automatically calculating by a computer processor a free-time probability value for the conflicting meeting based on at least one non-temporal attribute of the conflicting meeting or the proposed meeting. Additionally, the method includes automatically scheduling the proposed meeting if the free-time probability value is beyond a free-time probability threshold.

Abstract: A system and method for organizing information relevant to a collaboration. An example method includes automatically calculating by a computer processor a relevance value of user-encountered information respective to the collaboration. The method also includes distributing to at least one attendee of the collaboration the user-encountered information if the relevance value is beyond a relevance threshold.

Abstract: A method and system for managing electric power consumption by elements of a distributed computing system comprises: determining one or more system metrics that relate to electric power usage as consumed by elements of a configured distributed environment; determining a system value in response to the one or more system metrics, the value determined according to one or more value criteria; and, while in-progress applications are being run in the computing environment, evaluating one or more potential changes in the distributed computing environment and determining an alternate system value based on the changes; and, re-configuring elements of the distributed computing environment dynamically while the computing environment is operating, in accordance with a determined alternate system value. The re-configuring elements step is in accordance with a potential change operative to alter electric power consumption.