Patent ID: 7734682

Claim:
An application service provider apparatus, the apparatus comprising a server and a user smart card supplied by a first operator, the server being configured for providing a plurality of identified application services, wherein the plurality of identified application services include at least one selected from a group consisting of computer programs, computer software, one or more computer data-bases, hard-drive space and processing capability, the server being associated with a discriminator to receive and discriminate a first predetermined signal and a second predetermined signal, and wherein the first predetermined signal comprises a request to purchase selected services, and also being associated with a memory configured for: storing the selected services of the plurality of identified application services, and storing a credit value corresponding to a quantity of time that the selected services are licensed, the server being configured, on receipt of the first predetermined signal from the first operator possessing a manager smart card, for: receiving authentication from the manager smart card of the first operator, the authentication verifying that the first operator is permitted to specify the selected services of the plurality of identified application services, updating a logical copy of the user smart card, wherein the logical copy identifies the selected services selected by the first operator from the plurality of identified application services, and causing the discriminator to store a parameter relating to the user smart card, the server being configured, in response to the second predetermined signal from a second operator possessing the user smart card, for: actuating the memory to provide the selected services to the second operator based on the logical copy, and decreasing the credit value based on an identity and a duration of the selected services provided.