Patent ID: 7519657

Claim:
A method of providing communications services, comprising: retrieving audio-video data comprising packets of data packetized according to a packet protocol; segmenting the packets according to a set of subscriber-specified rules stored in memory, the set of subscriber-specified rules specified by a subscriber to a subscription service, the set of subscriber-specified rules specifying how the audio-video data is formatted to suit a requirement of a client communications device; determining a subcontracted processing service is required; interrogating a different service provider to fulfill the subcontracted processing service; grouping together individual packets as a segment that require the subcontracted processing service; subcontracting the segment via a network to the different service provider to receive the subcontracted processing service; receiving a result of the subcontracted processing service from the different service provider; assembling formatted audio-visual data comprising the result of the subcontracted processing service and an unprocessed segment; and communicating the formatted audio-visual data via the network.