StoopsSooners, interesting you bring up the dedicated "PC" directory. This is similar to what I've actually proposed to eDigital management in the past, specifically Robert P. His response was short and polite, but he basically said he'd forward to engineering for consideration.
My message was basically to introduce myself as an investor, and while I was at it, call their attention to the possibility of embedding a 'full-service' LDAP directory in their software, this as not only desirable but rather key in making layered technologies discoverable and interoperable with each other, not just at the device or local-area level as you state, but on a much larger scale via the internet.
If eDigital or an OEM wants to manage the ENTIRE life cycle of uniqe devices a million times over, the only place to make that happen is via the internet and connectivity via LDAP directory service agent in the device. Think of devices as clients on a network. The ldap agent can do things that a simple database lookup cannot...such as authenticate to a remote directory and then provision a uniquely addressable new device with a configuration and setup that leverages multiple datastores in the process. Discoverability and addressability should be ubiquitous and not built on the notion of single point-to-point connectivity. It's just too limiting in the long haul, and very expensive to reengineer everytime something changes.
While a simple peer-to-peer or PC directory would be a good first step, it more or less binds it to particular operations and client operating systems being used, which limits scalability. On the other hand a full-service directory provides the initial ease of PC use, and with no CRM headaches or surprises for OEMs who seek to have a digital relationship with customers for the life of the device, with increasingly valuable information delivered from multiple points and via all platforms.
The other advantage of a scalable directory is that it runs on a server, not on a client. Which is to say, the information stored in the directory, about end users, their devices, etc., i.e., config/setup, user-provided files, etc., are available to the customer when they purchase the next device. As new services are deployed they simply join the rich datastream that exists between the device, its manufacturer, and the all important customer.
Hey sorry for the lengthy message, but directory services is fascinating technology to me, and little understood beyond corporate networks and a few embedded players. I see plenty of applications for it in eDigital's software, and by extension, any OEM looking for a leg up on managing cradle-to-grave customer relationships via the devices they consume and the internet.
have a nice weekend...and if you've read this far and want to know which directory eDigital should bundle, just let me know, I'll be happy to tell you what I think. .
dangit