Patent ID: 7523172

Claim:
A method for updating network services for a user coupled to a network, the network for providing network services to users and comprising: a centralized data center (CDC); and a plurality of regional data centers (RDCs) operatively coupled to the CDC, each RDC being operatively coupled to a plurality of users by way of a communications network, each RDC maintaining for each associated user a user profile listing services the user is subscribed to, the method comprising: contacting the RDC; requesting from the RDC a list of servers obtained from the user profile stored in the RDC to use for services provided by the network for the user, wherein the list of servers comprises a list of corresponding network addresses for the services provided by the network for the user based on the user profile; receiving the list of servers; displaying corresponding service icons on an associated user display for the received list of servers; the user selecting a displayed icon; contacting the RDC to determine whether a service corresponding to the selected displayed icon as installed on an associated user machine needs to be updated; and if so, downloading an update for the service; and installing the update on the user machine.