Patent ID: 7581101

Claim:
A method for enabling communications between a network entity with which a first user is communicating via a communications network and a second user, the method comprising: sending a first message from a communications device associated with the first user to the network entity informing the network entity of identification information of the second user; sending, to the communications device associated with the first user, a key to enable the second user to communicate with the network entity; thereafter providing the key from the communications device associated with the first user directly to a communications device associated with the second user; thereafter sending a second message comprising the key from the telecommunications device associated with the second user to the network entity; thereafter using the identification information of the second user so as to determine whether the key sent from the communications device associated with the second user corresponds to the key provided by the network entity to the communications device associated with the first user; and if so enabling communications between the communications device associated with the second user and the network entity.