Patent ID: 7020457

Claim:
A method for communicating via an intermediate system between a plurality of wireless devices having client-side software associated with a plurality of application programs and a plurality of remote systems having server-side software associated with the application programs, comprising the steps of: storing in the intermediate system descriptions of application-level protocols and indications of correspondences between the application-level protocols and the application programs, each application-level protocol having a corresponding association with one of the application programs; storing in the intermediate system identifications of users and lists of application programs and remote systems associated with the users, each list listing the application programs associated with each user and listing a remote system associated with each application program in the list, wherein storing comprises storing user configuration lists, each user configuration list including information identifying a user and information identifying one or more application programs associated with the user; in response to use of an application program by a user of one of the wireless devices, the intermediate system receiving information identifying the wireless device used and the application program used; in response to receipt of the information identifying the wireless device used and the application program used, the intermediate system identifying the application-level protocol associated with the identified application program, and the intermediate system identifying the remote system associated with the identified wireless device and identified application program; in response to the use of the application program, the intermediate system receiving application program output from the identified wireless device, the application program output received in accordance with a transport-level protocol, each wireless device of the plurality of wireless hand-held devices communicating respective application program output to the intermediate system in accordance with the transport-level protocol; and the intermediate system transmitting the received application program output in accordance with the identified application protocol to a remote system associated with the identified application program.