Patent ID: 7539291

Claim:
A system for supporting a messaging service, comprising: a first translation gateway for use between (a) a customer data network that is accessed, by those authorized by the customer, to receive a message via a client process, and (b) a hostile data network, the first translation gateway having translation functionality that is applied to a plurality of inbound messages, arriving via the hostile network, in a manner that is transparent to recipients of said inbound messages who experience the messages via a plurality of client processes running in the customer network, the first translation gateway having translation functionality that is applied to outbound messages, originating with the plurality of client processes in the customer network, in a manner that is transparent to users of the plurality of client processes, wherein the first translation gateway is designed to verify that accounts of the users are current in response to obtaining outbound messages; and a second translation gateway for use between (a) the hostile data network, and (b) a service provider network of a provider of said messaging service, wherein said service provider network implements an interface to a telephony network from which the inbound messages originate, the second translation gateway to forward the inbound messages to the first translation gateway through the hostile network in a manner that precludes unauthorized access to the content of the inbound messages.