Patent ID: 8086698

Claim:
A method for providing configuration information, comprising: at a server computer having one or more processors and memory storing programs executed by the one or more processors: receiving, respectively, a user identifier and a last synchronization timestamp from a first client device at the server computer using a network; identifying, at the server computer, configuration information associated with the user identifier and having a timestamp after the last synchronization timestamp provided by the first client device; providing the identified configuration information to the first client device using the network, wherein the identified configuration information is to configure a user-specified portion of one or more applications on the first client device by merging with existing configuration information for the one or more applications on the first client device; receiving, from the first client device, information corresponding to resolution of at least one conflict between the configuration information from the server computer and the existing configuration information at the first client device; determining a new synchronization timestamp for the conflict resolution information received from the first client device; and returning the new synchronization timestamp to the first client device to replace the first client device's last synchronization timestamp.