Patent ID: 8117344

Claim:
A global server for providing a user of a remote user terminal with authenticated access to a service provided by a service server via a first communications link between the global server and the remote user terminal and a second communications link between the global server and the service server, the global server being configured to provide the user of the remote user terminal with authenticated access to the service provided by the service server, the global server comprising: a communication interface configured to connect to the first communications link and to connect to the second communications link; a processor configured to authenticate the user with respect to the global server by processing first authentication information for the user, the first authentication information being received from the remote user terminal via the first communications link, to verify the identity of the user with respect to the global server; authenticate the user with respect to the service server by retrieving second authentication information for the user and transmitting said second authentication information directly to the service server via the second communications link, to verify the identity of the user with respect to the service server; conduct authenticated communications with the service server on behalf of the user, via the second communications link and using the communication interface, after the authentication of the user with respect to the service server; and provide the user of the remote user terminal with authenticated access to the service by conducting authenticated communications with the remote terminal, via the first communications link and using the communication interface, after conducting the authenticated communications with the service server on behalf of the user.