Configuration of server apparatus

A communications interface device configured to be connected to a configurable server device and a telecommunications network and to initiate and mediate a tunneled network connection between the server device and a program provisioning server at a remote part of the telecommunications network, wherein the communications interface device is configured for coupling to a configurable server device and to transmit boot-up instructions to the configurable server device to which it is coupled, and to modify responses received from the configurable server device in response to said boot-up instruction, to generate an instruction, to be transmitted by a routing independent of the configurable server device, to a programming provisioning server hosted by the network operating center to obtain a network address;

• wherein the communications interface device is a pluggable device;
• wherein the communications interface device is arranged to mediate installation and operation of a first function on the server device by connection with a program provisioning server, and to communicate with a second such pluggable device installed on the server device to mediate installation and operation on the server device of a second function from the, or another, program provisioning server;
• and
• wherein the communications interface device is arranged to communicate with the second pluggable device through a paired wireless connection.

A method of installing an application on a configurable server device, the method comprising the steps of:

• pre-configuring an intermediate communications interface device, such that, on subsequent coupling to a configurable server device, the intermediate communications interface device will transmit boot-up instructions to the configurable server device;
• coupling the intermediate communications interface device which has been pre-configured, in the configurable server device, so that it transmits the boot-up instructions to the configurable server device;
• initiating and mediating, from the intermediate communications interface device, a tunneled network connection through a telecommunications network to a remote network operating center, the connection being independent of the configurable server device;
• at the intermediate communications interface device, receiving responses from the configurable server device in response to said boot-up instruction, and modifying said responses to generate an instruction to be directed to a program provisioning server hosted by the network operating center to obtain a unique network address specific to the network operating center;
• receiving, at the configurable server device, configuration data downloaded from the program provisioning server;
• and
• installing the application by configuring the configurable server device in accordance with the configuration data.