Patent ID: 7529801

Claim:
A method for multiple instant messaging sessions comprising: receiving a login request by a user for logging into an instant messaging session, determining if there is a pre-existing login session for the user; in response to determining that there is not a pre-existing login session for the user: assigning the login request to an instant messaging host server to provide an assigned instant messaging host server, wherein the login request has a login identifier associated with a user; and routing the login request to the assigned instant messaging host server; and in response to determining that there is a pre-existing login session for the user: routing the login request to the assigned instant messaging host server while the user is logged into the pre-existing login session, for providing a second login session for the user, wherein determining that ther is a pre-existing login session for the user comprises determining that the pre-existing login session is associated with the login identifier associated with the user.