Abstract: A system and method allows an insurance agent to plan and manage business goals related to his or her business. After receiving a business goal from the insurance agent, the system and method automatically identifies a set of activities that needs to be carried out by the insurance agent in order to achieve the business goal. The system and method then monitors and tracks actions performed by the insurance agent on the set of activities. Based on the actions performed, the systems and method determines a performance trend that indicates whether or not the business goal can be achieved. The system and method may send a message to notify or warn the insurance agent if the performance trend indicates that the business goal cannot be achieved.

Abstract: Suppliers of goods and/or services subject to shifts in capacity utilization design and implement marketing campaigns around utilization forecasts, targeting marketing expenditures on periods of excess capacity rather than periods without excess capacity, and in some embodiments also to alter variables such as pricing, consumer targeting, or even the intensity of the campaign itself on a dynamic basis in response to changing market conditions.

Abstract: Suppliers of goods and/or services subject to shifts in capacity utilization design and implement marketing campaigns around utilization forecasts, targeting marketing expenditures on periods of excess capacity rather than periods without excess capacity, and in some embodiments also to alter variables such as pricing, consumer targeting, or even the intensity of the campaign itself on a dynamic basis in response to changing market conditions.

Abstract: Suppliers of goods and/or services subject to shifts in capacity utilization design and implement marketing campaigns around utilization forecasts, targeting marketing expenditures on periods of excess capacity rather than periods without excess capacity, and in some embodiments also to alter variables such as pricing, consumer targeting, or even the intensity of the campaign itself on a dynamic basis in response to changing market conditions.

Abstract: A method for switching vendors, including sending an invitation to a user to rate a first vendor in response to the user designating the first vendor as a payee, receiving a rating assigned to the first vendor, determining a second vendor as an alternative to the first vendor based on the rating being below a predefined threshold, sending information associated with the second vendor to the user, receiving a request from the user to switch from the first vendor to the second vendor, sending a cancellation notice to the first vendor in response to receiving the request, transmitting user information to a computer of the second vendor for setting up a new account, and charging the second vendor a fee for sending the information associated with the second vendor to the user.

Abstract: In response to an event occurring on a user's computer, a system, method, and user interface automatically determine the nature and context of the event, and search a database for support items, such as other users' comments, suggestions, or answers that are relevant to the event. Events can include, for example, errors, usage problems, or other difficulties with the software application, operating system, or hardware. Other resources, such as bulletin boards, discussion groups, websites, and the like, can also be automatically searched for support items using the parameters and context describing the event. The system and method select those support item or items that are most highly rated by other users as providing accurate, reliable, or otherwise useful information, and that appear to be the most relevant to the event. Also provided, in one embodiment, is a mechanism by which a user can evaluate a support item after he or she has read it.

Abstract: Suppliers of goods and/or services subject to shifts in capacity utilization design and implement marketing campaigns around utilization forecasts, targeting marketing expenditures on periods of excess capacity rather than periods without excess capacity, and in some embodiments also to alter variables such as pricing, consumer targeting, or even the intensity of the campaign itself on a dynamic basis in response to changing market conditions.

Abstract: Computer-implemented methods and systems provide, at a virtual point-of-payment (“POP”) at which a user is paying for goods or services, or when the user is recording a payment or otherwise using a financial management system, information for one or more alternative vendors from which the user may obtain the same or similar products. When the user employs the system to pay a bill, record a payment, or access a payee list, the system displays user-selectable vendor approval/disapproval icons (e.g., “thumbs up”/“thumbs down”) for the user to rate the vendor, products or transaction. If the user selects the “thumbs down” icon to express displeasure with a current vendor (or, alternatively, whenever a payment is recorded or a payee list accessed), a list of alternative vendors selected from a vendor database is displayed, along with corresponding offerings, prices, user ratings (by other users), logos and other graphical information.