Patent ID: 7426056

Claim:
A method in a data processing system for providing access to an application, the method comprising: responsive to receiving a request for access to the application from a client, identifying an operating system on the client; responsive to identifying the operating system, selecting an appropriate version of the application for the client from a list of applications displayed at the client; sending files required on the client for execution of the appropriate version of the application to the client, wherein execution of the appropriate version of the application is processed on the data processing system; and initiating a billing process to identify an amount of time during which the appropriate version of the application is used on the client, wherein the billing process comprises: starting a timer to identify an amount of elapsed time in executing the appropriate version of the application on the data processing system; displaying a status window, wherein the amount of elapsed time in executing the appropriate version of the application is presented in the status window; responsive to the user input, pausing execution of the appropriate version of the application, wherein pausing increases the amount of the elapsed time while the pausing is in effect; responsive to a user input, terminating execution of the appropriate version of the application; identifying the amount of the elapsed time for the appropriate version of the application; storing the identified amount of the elapsed time for the appropriate version of the application for use in billing the user; sending a billing agent to the client, wherein the billing agent provides a display of status information regarding the identified amount of elapsed time, and current charges for the identified amount of elapsed time of the appropriate version of the application.