Patent ID: 8640035

Claim:
A computer-implemented method, comprising: communicating, by an identity framework application that is executing on a local computer system, with a remote computer system to discover a plurality of identities that are new to the identity framework application and to a plurality of communication applications executing on the local computer system, wherein the identity framework application provides communication-related information for identities that are local to the local computer system and that are remote to the local computer system to the plurality of communication applications executing on the local computer system, and wherein each of the plurality of identities represents a corresponding identity that is remote to the local computer system; receiving, by the identity framework application, communication-related information for the plurality of identities from the remote system, wherein the communication-related information indicates a plurality of different communication mechanisms through which the plurality of communication applications can communicate with each corresponding identity that is remote to the local computer system; storing, by the identity framework application, the communication-related information for each of the plurality of identities in one or more corresponding shared remote identity objects on the local computer system; accessing, by an identity based user interface application, at least a portion of the communication-related information in the shared remote identity objects on behalf of one of the plurality of communication applications executing on the local computer system or on behalf of a user that is local to the local computer system; displaying, by the identity based user interface application, one or more user interface elements comprising the at least a portion of the communication-related information for the plurality of identities; and in response to selection of one of the communication mechanisms, initiating communication, by the identity based user interface application, with the corresponding identity that is remote to the local computer system using the selected mechanism on behalf of the one of the plurality of communication applications executing on the local computer system or the user that is local to the local computer system.