Patent ID: 8533811

Claim:
A processor-implemented method executed by one or more servers for managing a terminal which has a network communication capability, comprising: receiving registration information from a developer, via a computer of the developer, for registering as a software developer to develop applications for the terminal, the registration information comprises a developer identifier and developer authentication information and indicates which of one or more permissions of a plurality of available permissions the developer has registered for; sending data to the developer's computer which indicates that the developer has been authenticated by the one or more servers, the developer's computer provides the data to the terminal; receiving from client software running on the terminal, a request to unlock the terminal from a locked state to an unlocked state, the request comprises the data and an identifier of the terminal; and based on the request and the registration information, determining whether unlocking of the terminal is authorized, and if the unlocking of the terminal is authorized, sending a command to the terminal, the command comprising unlock data which is used by the terminal to persist an unlocked state in the terminal, the command indicates the one or more permissions the developer has registered for, the one or more permissions are enforced by the terminal in response to the command and the unlocked state allows one or more unsigned applications which were developed by a software development tool which runs on the developer's computer to be executed on the terminal.