custom uploader - desktop application

Overview Project Background and Description Uploader is for a ticket exchange that allows ticket brokers and the general public to list tickets for North America and Europe events. There are two different exchanges - the first is the FanExchange; this is for brokers and general public who want to list on our site as well as other exchanges. This is done through the various real-time APIs of other tickets exchanges in North America and Europe. The other exchange is known as the FanWall, this exchange only exists on our site and tickets listed on this exchange are not listed on other sites. our site guarantees the tickets that have been listed on the FanExchange; the FanWall is largely unregulated as it is a free service for anyone who signs up. The FanExchange works well with sites that have real-time APIs there are however many sites which do not have real-time APIs. The non-real-time APIs mainly use FTP as a means of allowing brokers to upload their inventory to the exchanges. The scan times for refreshing inventory are between 30 to 60 minutes. Once a ticket is purchase on one of these exchanges the broker has to accept the purchase, if he does not then our site has to replace the ticket on the exchange in which is sold. This can be a problem because the scan time for the non-real-time APIs is one hour in which time the ticket could be sold and sent out on the other real-time APIs. If the ticket get sold on a real-time API and the ticket gets sold on the non-real-time API before it can be refreshed then this causes a double buy. Since we have no way of rejecting a sale from a non-real-time API our site would have to pay for a replacement sale. This would be problematic for brokers that upload large amounts of tickets at once. This is where the AutoUploader is needed to resolve the problem. Project Scope The AutoUploader will be used by Brokers to upload to the various non-real-time exchanges from Europe and North America. The AutoUploader will be an application that will run on a PC or MAC. The Broker will have the option of selecting from a list of which non-real-time exchanges to upload to. The broker will be responsible for creating and getting accounts for the AutoUploader to use. For example, in order for brokers to use SubHub they must create and FTP account for StubHub and enter the details into the AutoUploader to use when it uploads the brokers inventory to the site. Most of the time the AutoUploader will be using CSV files to upload inventory to the each of the exchanges. High-Level Requirements The AutoUploader must include the following: Ability to upload to a predetermined number of exchanges through various non-real-time APIs Ability to allow the broker to enter login credentials to each of the exchanges Ability for the broker to select which exchanges to upload to. Ability the broker to set up a master CSV file that will contain all the inventory for the broker. It will then upload that CSV file to the various non-real-time exchanges. Ability to autosense changes in the master CSV file and update the inventory on the various non-real-time exchanges. Ability to authenticate itself to our site before being able by the broker. This will be done by a token or key. Ability to upload the inventory to our site. Must be a desktop application that can run on Windows and Mac. Deliverables The AutoUploader must be delivered as an install package that can be downloaded from the website and installed on the brokers PC. High-Level Timeline/Schedule The AutoUploader have a rough timeline of the end of May. The AutoUploader will preferably done before the launch date of end of May. Since this is a short time schedule the end date could possibly be move back.