Patent ID: 7398327

Claim:
A system to provide automated services to heterogeneous devices in a network environment, comprising: a device agent residing on each of the heterogeneous devices; a device communicator to register and synchronize the devices via each of the device agents; and a portal server to interface multiple content sources on behalf of the devices; wherein: the devices communicate with the portal server via each of the device agents and the device communicator; the registration of the heterogeneous devices by the device communicator includes the device communicator recording in a device table a list of applications supported by at least one of the heterogeneous devices; a first one of the heterogeneous devices triggers the device agent residing on the first heterogeneous device to send a request for an application; the device agent residing on the first heterogeneous device responsively transmits the request to the device communicator; the device communicator searches the device table to locate a second one of the heterogeneous devices that supports the application; the device communicator forwards the request to the second heterogeneous device; responsive to the forwarded request, the second heterogeneous device transmits a response to the device communicator; and the device communicator forwards the response to the first heterogeneous device.