Business Card Server

Publishing Venue

IBM

Business Card Server

    The physical (paper) business card is still the most widely used means of exchanging personal information in today's business world. However, with the widespread use of PDAs (Palm, RIM Blackberry etc.), cellular telephones and contact management software (Lotus Notes, MS Outlook etc.) there exists the challenge of accurately importing this information and then keeping this information up-to-date. Business card scanners (e.g. www.cardscan.com) have existed for some time but they are costly, error prone (I don't know this for a fact) and only provide a means of loading static data.

This disclosure proposes a system where business cards are printed with an identification code that uniquely identifies the person represented by the card. This identification code could be in the form of a URN. This code and all of the individual's information is stored on a directory server that is accessible through the Internet. When a business contact receives this card, he does not have to manually enter all of the information (Name, company name, title, address, email, web-site, phone numbers etc.). Instead the unique id (URN) is entered into the organizer or management software using a special client program or add-in. The client software obtains complete, timely and accurate information by querying a central directory on the Internet and then loads it into the organizer's address book. In the case of a PDA the information is updated on the next "Hot Sync".

This solution has the added advantage that the organizer can, on a regular basis and at the user's discretion, up...