Patent ID: 7484134

Claim:
A method comprising, at a local computer system: when a fault of a software component is detected by a local computer system, creating a support message for transmission to an intermediate support system; automatically including routing information in the support message, wherein the routing information includes at least one of a system identifier identifying a hardware platform of the local computer system and an installation identifier identifying a version of software that is installed on the local computer system, the system identifier and the installation identifier taken from a license key associated with the software component; sending the support message to the intermediate support system via the Internet; responsive to a reply message received from the intermediate support system, collecting additional information relating to the fault and transmitting an answer message to the intermediate support system responsive thereto; if the intermediate support system can identify a solution to the fault, receiving a solution message from the intermediate support system and installing a patch provided therein; and if the intermediate support system cannot identify a solution to the fault, receiving a solution message from an end support system to which the support message is escalated from the intermediate support system and installing a patch provided therein.