Patent ID: 8180904

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following, respond to a request for data transfer from one of a plurality of registered data sources over a network to a remote packet-communicating device by authenticating the request as a function of authorization criteria, receive data specifying available communications links automatically identified for directly communicating between the registered data source and the remote packet-communicating device, for the authenticated request, ascertain information about the available communications links for transferring the requested data to the remote packet-communicating device based upon the data specifying the available communications links, select one of the available communications links as a function of the ascertained information, and administratively control the registered data source, by sending administrative routing control inputs, for routing the requested data between the registered data source and the remote packet-communicating device over the selected communications link.