Patent ID: 7587596

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of updating electronic address books stored in a plurality of information handling systems (IHSs), the method comprising: storing, by a first memory of a first IHS that is operable by a first user, first user address book information that is related to the first user; storing, by a second memory of a second IHS, the first user address book information, the second IHS being operable by a second user; determining, by an update agent application in the first memory of the first IHS, if the first user address book information stored in the second memory of second IHS is current with respect to the first user address book information stored in the first memory of the first IHS; in response to the first user address book information stored in the second memory of the second IHS being determined to be not current, updating by the update agent application in the first memory of the first IHS the second IHS with the first user address book information stored in the first memory of the first IHS, wherein the updating includes transmitting over a network, by the first IHS, current first user address book information to the second IHS, wherein the updating further includes transmitting, by the first IHS, a digital certificate with the current first user address book information to the second IHS; checking, by the second IHS, the digital certificate to determine if the transmitted current first user address book information is valid; rejecting, by the second IHS, the transmitted current first user address book information if the transmitted current first user address book information is invalid; providing, by a display of the second IHS, an indication that the transmitted current first user address book information is valid; querying via the display of the second IHS, by the second IHS, the second IHS user to accept or reject the valid transmitted current first user address book information, storing, by the second memory of the second IHS, third user address book information of a third IHS, the third user address book information including an indication of whether or not the third user address book information is sharable with other than the second user of the second IHS; and transmitting over the network, by the second IHS, the third user address book information to the first user address book application in the first IHS, if the second IHS determines that third user address book information stored in the first memory of the first IHS is not current and the second IHS also determines that the third user address book information in the second IHS indicates that the third user address information is sharable, thus forwarding third user address book information by the second IHS to the first IHS.