Patent ID: 7460873

Claim:
A system for transmitting a message from a mobile subscriber to an application provider using a short code, the system comprising: an administrator in communication with a database, wherein the database contains the short code and a status of the short code that indicates that the short code is leased; a network facilitator selectably connectable to the administrator; and a plurality of wireless carriers selectably connectable to the network facilitator, wherein the mobile subscriber is associated with one of the plurality of wireless carriers, wherein the one of the plurality of wireless carriers connects to the network facilitator when receiving the message from the mobile subscriber addressed to the short code, wherein the network facilitator communicates with the administrator to obtain routing information indicating to which one of a plurality of application providers the short code is assigned, and based on the information thereafter delivers the message to the application provider, wherein the administrator, in response to a request asking whether the short code is available, provides the status of the short code, and wherein the administrator periodically broadcasts to the network facilitator information regarding (i) which short codes have recently been leased and (ii) which leases for short codes are soon to expire.