Patent ID: 8850016

Claim:
A provisionable-services clearinghouse comprising: a communication interface; a processor; and instructions, contained in data storage, that are executable by the processor for causing the clearinghouse to carry out steps including: maintaining in data storage a plurality of records that each identify (i) a respective mobile device, (ii) one or more types of service for which the respective mobile device can be provisioned, and (iii) a respective provider of each of the so-identified types of service for which the respective mobile device is currently provisioned; receiving a first provisioning request that identifies (i) a particular mobile device that itself is identified by a particular record from among the plurality of records, (ii) a first type of service, and (iii) a particular provider; accessing the particular record in response to receiving the first provisioning request; making a determination based on the particular record as to whether the first type of service is currently provisioned for the particular mobile device; if the determination is that the first type of service is not currently provisioned for the particular mobile device, then responsively (i) sending to the particular provider a second provisioning request that requests that the first type of service be provisioned for the particular mobile device and (ii) updating the particular record to reflect that the particular mobile device is currently provisioned to be provided the first type of service by the particular provider; and if the determination is that the first type of service is currently provisioned for the particular mobile device, then responsively transmitting an error indication to the particular provider, the error indication indicating that the first type of service is currently provisioned for the particular mobile device.