Providing consolidated project information service

A server providing a project service for consolidating project information, the server comprising:

• a memory;
• a processor coupled to the memory, the processor executing at least one application associated with the project service in conjunction with instructions stored in the memory, wherein the project service is configured to:
• monitor parts of a project including one or more of:
• resource utilization, progress tracking, and milestones;
• receive a request for aggregated information;
• enable an information aggregator module to search structured and unstructured project information for one or more attribute types of the structured and the unstructured project information on the project service and a collaboration service, the structured project information including a task list with attributes including a name, a duration and a start date for each task, wherein the attributes are defined by project requirements to meet standards for at least one from a set of:
• data integration, reporting, and consistency, the unstructured project information including an email indicating in one of a heading and body a name, a duration, and a start date of a new task, and wherein the collaboration service enables users to exchange emails, messages, documents, and maintain lists and tasks and stores the unstructured project information in a data store including a file, a memory, and a database;
• process one of the documents hosted by the collaboration service to determine the unstructured project information including at least one from a set of:
• at least one available team member and at least one schedule associated with the at least one available team member throughout a project duration;
• determine related structured and unstructured project information based on matching one or more attribute types of the unstructured project information to one or more attribute types of the structured project information, the attribute types comprising names, durations, and start dates;
• retrieve the structured and unstructured project information at the information aggregator module employing authentication and encryption methods utilized by the project service and the collaboration service for granting selective access to the structured and unstructured project information;
• aggregate the structured and unstructured project information at the information aggregator module by adding the name, the duration, and the start date of the new task from one of the heading and the body of the email to the task list;
• format the aggregated information in accordance with one or more formatting instructions associated with a user's viewing preferences, wherein the formatting instructions are included in the request;
• and
• transmit the formatted aggregate information.

A computer-readable memory device with instructions stored thereon for consolidating project information, the instructions comprising:

• receiving a request for aggregated information at a project service;
• enabling an information aggregator module to search a project server for structured project information and a collaboration server for unstructured project information, wherein the structured project information includes attributes defined by project requirements to meet standards for at least one from a set of:
• data integration, reporting, and consistency and is stored in a project database in Extensible Markup Language (XML) documents, and wherein the collaboration server hosts a collaboration service enabling users to exchange emails, messages, documents, and maintain lists and tasks and stores the unstructured project information in a data store including a file, a memory, and a database;
• processing one of the documents hosted by the collaboration server to determine the unstructured project information including at least one from a set of:
• at least one available team member and at least one schedule associated with the at least one available team member throughout a project duration;
• determining related structured project information from the project server and unstructured project information from the collaboration server based on matching one or more attribute types of the unstructured project information to one or more attribute types of the structured project information at the information aggregator module, the structured project information including a task list with attributes including a name, a duration and a start date for each task, and the unstructured project information including an email indicating in one of a heading and body a name, a duration, and a start date of a new task;
• retrieving the structured and unstructured project information employing authentication and encryption methods utilized by the project server and the collaboration server for granting selective access to the structured and unstructured project information;
• aggregating the structured and unstructured project information at the information aggregator module by adding the name, the duration, and the start date of the new task from one of the heading and the body of the email to the task list;
• formatting the aggregated information in accordance with one or more formatting instructions associated with a user's viewing preferences by grouping the task list based on project participants and limiting based on a date range defined by the request, wherein the formatting instructions are included in the request;
• and
• transmitting the formatted aggregate information to the user.