Method, system, and apparatus for open services architecture

A computer system for creating and managing an open service contract comprising:

• a description of an open service;
• a description of charging information for said open service;
• at least one open service offer that is created from said description of said open service and said description of said charging information for said open service;
• an open service commitment that is associated with said open service offer;
• and
• said open service contract that is created from said open service offer and said associated open service commitment.

A computer system having a marketmaker tool for accessing and auditing an open service contract and a citizen, said marketmaker tool comprising:

• a welcoming party that authenticates and authorizes formation of said open service contract;
• a citizenship registrar that identifies a said citizen that is authorized to form said open service contract;
• a litigation bureau that manages charging information associated with said open service contract;
• a penalty extractor that links penalty data to said charging information;
• a revenue meter that resolves said charging information associated with said open service contract;
• a contract monitor that monitors communication associated with said open service contract;
• and
• a contract lifecycle manager that manages communication associated with managing the open service contract.

A computer system having a buyer-seller tool for performing an open service contract, an open service contract view, and an open service instance, said buyer-seller tool comprising:

• a binding manager that associates said open service contract view with said open service instance;
• an open service lifecycle manager that manages said open service instance;
• a contract view manager that enables said open service contract view thereby creating and managing said open service contract;
• and
• a basic citizenship module that instructs said contract lifecycle manager to initiate, renew, or withdraw said open service contract.

A computer system having a mediator tool for negotiating an open service contract, a citizen that is associated with said open service contract, an open service, and an open service offer, said mediator tool comprising:

• describing an open service;
• describing charging information for said open service;
• creating at least one open service offer from said described open service and said described charging information;
• discovering said open service offer;
• associating an open service commitment with said open service offer;
• and
• creating said open service contract from said open service offer and said associated open service commitment.

A computer-readable medium containing instructions for causing a computer system to perform method acts to create and manage an open service contract, said method acts comprising:

• describing an open service;
• describing charging information for said open service;
• creating at least one open service offer from said described open service and said described charging information;
• discovering said open service offer;
• associating an open service commitment with said open service offer;
• and
• creating said open service contract from said open service offer and said associated open service commitment.