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Background

Akibot is the first semantic actionable micro-blogging platform for the enterprise. Akibot not only allows real-time group collaboration and awareness through short, instant messages (like a Twitter for the company), but it also understands those messages and, if applicable, takes action.

A good description is provided by this ReadWriteWeb blog.

Technical Description of the architecture

Akibot works with 2 modules: the front end (the microblog) and the robot (the "brain"). Both modules are completely independent and separate, and they communicate via HTTP POST and XML.
When you write a message and post it in the microblog module, it does an HTTP POST call to the robot with the message. The robot gets the message and sends back an XML acknowledging the receipt. 

In the background the robot queues the message for processing. Processing means the message goes through the robot's Contextual Analyzer. The Contextual Analyzer determines the entity (inventory item, vendor, client. contact, marketing campaign, etc. etc.) and the situation (how that entity is being affected in the message/conversation), and, if applicable, makes an HTTP call to inquiry information from the corresponding software (e.g. ERP -SAP; Navision; etc-, Groupware -Exchange, Salesforce, etc. etc). 

Once the robot has all this information, it decides if an action is required (usually the action is a response back to the microblog module - but can also be updates, alerts, pushing data to other applications, etc) and proceeds to do so by pushing a message back to the microblog module via HTTP POST (the actions are defined by directives, Akibot comes equipped with some standard directives but you can teach him more that are more specific to your industry).   

Suggested architecture

General Use Case

Basically this is how it is working now. The only change would be that Apache ESME would be posting messages to Akibot (robot module, just like the microblog module is doing now) and Akibot would reply back to Apache ESME if needed, and do all the interfacing would interface with enterprise software (ERP, Groupware applications).

Integration possibilitites: Overview

There are three basic scenarios

1.  via an Apache ESME action that posts messages to the Akibot API.
2. A bot that follows the Apache ESME message stream and either 1) makes a remote call to the RESTAPIlocated on another server or, if the bot was located on the GAE then accesses your API without making a remote call.
3. Another idea would be to directly embed akibot functionality in Apache ESME as some sort of a plug-in.

Use Cases

Use Messages for Back-end Requests

• The idea here would be to use Apache ESME to ask the back-end for certain pieces of information.

Microblogging Backend System

• There is a ESME pool that is restricted to certain individuals (for example, accounting staff, which reports about latest paid orders). Origin of this group should probably be container-based (for example, LDAP).
• The SAP back-end is also a member of this group (for example, the user "sappaidorders") and posts messages to the group like "Order XYZ has been paid by customer KN30292938".
• Let's say order XYZ is very valuable but there were problems with the customer. The accounting person would then say "RT @sappaidorders Order XYZ has been paid by customer KN30292938 // well, finally. Good work guys!".
• Based on ESME's pool concept, this message would only be visible to individuals in this pool.
• The different permission schemes between the microblogging environment and the backend would also be a topic to be examined.
• Example of research in this area: "Microblogging and ERP systems: use cases and prototype"

Taskmanagement

• See the suggestion for task-related mesages used by Remember the Milkfor its Twitter format
• The SAP back-end system must be a xRPM

Device-related Use Case

• RFID-enhanced devices send messages to microblogging system
• Use case should also describe why inclusion of microblogging system brings advantages over direct data insertion into back-end system.Detailed description of use case