This figure identifies basic services within a business architecture. Users can access a specific service using a solution provider’s infrastructure. Depending on the user’s level of authorization, the service provisioning entity checks whether and how admission can be granted. Additionally, central entities are in charge of, on one hand, monitoring services in regard of security and QoS (Quality of Service) aspects and, on the other hand, charging for those services consumed. Furthermore, it shows how the entities are involved in the collaborative composition of one service and within their roles assigned.

Financial Flows

A customer using one or more mobile grid services should only receive a single bill. In order to reach this goal there has to be a single centralized financial institution gathering all relevant data from all entities involved. The following parties can be identified:

Organisational units offering mobile grid services:

o Application/Solution Providers: They are in direct contact or have at least a direct relationship with the end-user and are thus the preferably chosen entity to act as the billing issuing party. In contrary, if we suppose having more than one solution provider it seems better to have one specialised organisational unit for charging purposes. Solution providers will have built up relationships to other solution providers as well as to external entities. They will have to compensate them for received services and efforts accomplished. The need for a differentiated billing solution seems obvious with respect to the different kinds of activities to be included.

o Service Providers: In a virtual organization services are often composed not only by an integrated but by a distributed supply chain. Each and every included party concentrates on its respective core competencies in order to achieve a higher increase in value across the whole value chain. Regarding financial flows this means to be in big need of an appropriate charging system which shows high flexibility. All entities have to be repaid for their contributions in terms of CPU (Central Processing Unit) time, network traffic, knowledge access or a complete service for customers.

o Platform Providers: the platform itself can be published as open source software. In that case, it will not serve as a source for earnings directly. Support services and maintenance can be regarded as two prominent examples. Additionally, if a platform provider intends to be partnered with a solution provider and therefore offers services in the role of an actual grid operator, there will be a potential for substantial gains in exchange for outsourcing operations.

o Content Providers: Presumably they will remain self-dependent and thus offer knowledge access through grid services but otherwise focus on their own internal procedures. Of course, they will be paid for granting admission to their managed contents.

Platform external entities:

o Users/Customers: there can be several customer profiles. For example, in case of a hospital as a customer, it will be necessary to have the bill sent to the appropriate address within the customer’s organisational structure (presumably on behalf of the hospital’s accounting department and not on behalf of the hospital’s employee who actually used the charged-for service). Customers will stay preferably in contact with one single party as a full solution provider.

o External Service Providers: They are meant to be external organisations offering additional services that are not offered by using a specific mobile grid service, but can be charged to the customer’s account and afterwards be set on the corresponding bill.

o Technology and Business Consultants: Although they are not directly involved in the process of composing and creating grid services, they can support solution providers or other involved entities by providing means of accumulated knowledge within their respective field. In exchange for their consultancy services they have to receive compensation in this regard.

Generally speaking, for every single service or activity that has to be charged for, – mainly onto the customer’s single bill –, there has to be found a common agreement on the following major topics:

• What is the “product” customer is being charged for?

• Who determines the product prices? What methods are applied?

• How and when will the customer be charged (real-time, with certain delay, on a monthly basis)?

• What kind of contracts come into operation (between all the different entities)?

• Which payment options are offered to customers (bill, direct debit from a bank account, credit cards, pre-paid solutions, post-paid solutions)?

• Who is responsible for supervising, adapting, optimizing financial flows? How is the data being verified?

• What can be done in case of conflicts (non-payment, bankruptcy, unsettled disputes)?

About

This work was produced by the BEinGRID project.