public String sendMessage(String senderName, String recipient,
			String message) {
		//
		// If recipient is "ALL", then broadcast this message
		//
		if (recipient.equals(StringDefs.ALL)) {
			if (broadcastMessage(senderName, message, false))
				return ("");
			else
				return (null);
		} else if (recipient.equals(StringDefs.ALL_AREAS)) {
			if (broadcastMessage(senderName, message, true))
				return ("");
			else
				return (null);
		}

		String address = fAddressDB.lookUpAddressCache(recipient);
		try {
			Socket msgSocket = null;
			String remoteIP = null;

			if (address == null)
				msgSocket = new Socket(recipient, kSocketNo);
			else
				msgSocket = new Socket(address, kSocketNo);

			remoteIP = NetUtil.getIPAddress(msgSocket.getInetAddress());
			DataOutputStream dos = new DataOutputStream(
					new BufferedOutputStream(msgSocket.getOutputStream()));

			dos.writeUTF(senderName);
			dos.writeUTF(message);
			dos.flush();

			dos.close();
			msgSocket.close();
			return (remoteIP);
		} catch (IOException e) {
			return (null);
		}
	}