Patent ID: 8918128

Claim:
A method for use in a message server, the method comprising: receiving, from a wireless device of a sender via a packet switched wireless local area network (WLAN) base station, a request message including a destination address associated with a wireless device of a recipient, from a message client running on the wireless device of the sender, the message client capable of determining a delivery mode for sending an outgoing message to the wireless device of the recipient, wherein the wireless device of the sender is capable of sending, in a first delivery mode, messages via the packet switched WLAN base station or, alternatively, in a second delivery mode, via a short message service (SMS) bearer base station that is independent of the packet switched WLAN base station; determining whether the destination address corresponds to a subscriber of a service for receiving the outgoing message via a packet switched bearer; and sending a response message, to the wireless device of the sender via the packet switched WLAN base station, indicating whether the destination address corresponds to a subscriber of the service for receiving the outgoing message via a packet switched bearer, wherein, if the destination address corresponds to a subscriber of the service for receiving the outgoing message via a packet switched bearer, the response message provides an indication to the wireless device of the sender to send, in the first delivery mode, the outgoing message as one or more Internet protocol (IP) packets to the wireless device of the recipient via the packet switched WLAN base station, wherein, if the destination address does not correspond to a subscriber of the service for receiving the outgoing message via a packet switched bearer, the response message alternatively provides an indication to the wireless device of the sender to send, in the second delivery mode, the outgoing message as an SMS message to the wireless device of the recipient using the destination address via the SMS bearer base station, and wherein the SMS bearer base station is associated with a cellular core network, and the request message received from the wireless device of the sender and the response message sent to the wireless device of the sender do not traverse the cellular core network associated with the SMS bearer base station.