Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for customer experience management for an organization. Embodiments of the invention can be used to monitor and analyze customer activity. From larger volumes of data, data can be concentrated to identify events with higher relevance to customer or guest experiences with the organization. Data can be correlated with customer or guest experiences to provide more personalized experiences in the future. Embodiments include event processing rules. Event processing rules can be used to provide more intelligent rewards to customers or guests. Event processing rules can also be used to synthesize other events. Embodiments can apply data analytics at a range of organizational levels (e.g., operator to management level) to improve customer or guest experiences. Embodiments can provide visualizations to an organization to present correlated trend data about customers or guests.

Abstract: Enhanced computer- and network-based methods, techniques, and systems for an enhanced file server that provides search and recommendations “in-band” as part of a request to the file server are provided. Example embodiments provide a Enhanced File Server (“EFS”), which enables file servers and the like, to search for and/or to recommend information (e.g., content, data, or the like) based upon a file request to the file server. This enables a user of the EFS to avoid the use of a separate search or recommendation system, such as a search engine, to find information. An Enhanced File Server implements its own search and recommendation capabilities and allows users to search for and obtain recommendations for information through its standard file-access mechanisms. Searches and requests for recommendations are performed using especially constructed file names The EFS may present results to the user using synthesized content.

Abstract: Additional data is associated with existing directory service object instances by creating instances of object classes in an Application Partition. The additional data is added to one or more attribute(s) of the created instances; the created instances are associated with existing object instances by setting the value of a backlink attribute in the created instances to be the same as a partition link value in the existing object instances. The created instances may be members of object classes which were already existing in the schema of the directory service, the created instances may be members of an existing object class which has attributes which are modified for this purpose, or the created instances may be members of a new object class created for this purpose. The additional data, backlink, and partition link values may be stored as a normal value for the chosen attribute(s) or as pseudo-values.

Abstract: Credentials are migrated into a unified identity management system which maintains existing mappings by associating the migrated credentials with existing directory service object instances. The schema of the directory service may or may not be modified.

Abstract: A database of objects is distributed between a server computer and multiple client computers as an object oriented virtual world environment (VWE) with multimedia presentation features. A primary database is maintained on the server and includes at least one entry for each object disposed within the VWE. In one implementation a presentation virtual world environment has a multi-user virtual presentation room object (ShowRoom) in which presentation or information element objects (ShowItems) are presented from a server to multiple viewers at multiple client computers. The presentation room object and presentation element objects are global objects in that they are provided from server to client computers as part of a presentation VWE. The presentation element objects provide a model representing a presentation in the presentation VWE.

Abstract: Avatars representing participants in a graphic chat session are periodically animated to produce a gesture that conveys an emotion, action, or personality trait. Each participant in the chat session is enabled to select one of a plurality of different avatars to represent the participant in a graphic chat session. Associated with each avatar is a bitmap file that includes a plurality of frames illustrating the avatar in different poses, actions, and emotional states. Selected frames are displayed in rapid sequence in accord with a script file to create an animation effecting each gesture. The same script file is used to define a gesture for all of the avatars used in the chat session. A selected gesture can be transmitted with a text message to convey the user's emotional state. A gesture associated with the avatar is automatically displayed from time to time when the avatar is not otherwise gesturing or moving. The user can determine participants in the chat session with whom the user will interact, e.g.