Patent ID: 8001200

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for managing identities in a message service, the method comprising: subscribing, using at least one processor, a user of a first messaging service to a second messaging service; requesting an identification of a first user identifier for the user, wherein the first user identifier is associated with the first messaging service; receiving the identification of the first user identifier; and storing, using a storage device, a mapping between the first user identifier and a second user identifier for the user after the user has subscribed to the second messaging service, wherein the second user identifier is associated with the second messaging service; requesting the first messaging service for a first messaging service contact list associated with the user on the first messaging service; identifying user identities associated with the second messaging service that correspond to user identities in the first messaging service contact list based on the stored mapping; and populating a second messaging service contact list associated with the user in the second messaging service with the corresponding second messaging service user identities.