Broker service apparatus for controlling a mobile device

A computer program product, comprising one or more computer readable hardware storage devices having computer readable program code stored therein, said program code containing instructions executable by one or more processors of a broker service apparatus to implement a method for controlling a second mobile device in response to a first mobile device having no connection to a telephony service, wherein the first mobile device is operable to transmit an identifier to the second mobile device using a network connection that is operable to connect mobile devices and wherein the first mobile device and the second mobile device are operable to join a first group, said broker service apparatus being a computer apparatus, said method comprising:

• using, by the one or more processors, in response to receiving a first control signal comprising a first unique identifier and data from the telephony service, the first unique identifier to identify the first group, wherein the data is targeted to the first mobile device;
• determining, by the one or more processors in response to the first mobile device not being connected to the broker service apparatus that previously assigned the first unique identifier to the first group, whether the second mobile device is connected to the broker service apparatus;
• and
• issuing, by the one or more processors in response to the second mobile device being connected to the broker service apparatus, a second control signal to the second mobile device in order to forward the data to the second mobile device, said second control signal comprising an identifier of the first mobile device,
• wherein the second control signal causes the second mobile device to use the identifier of the first mobile device and the network connection in order to forward the data to the first mobile device.

A broker service apparatus, comprising one or more processors, one or more memories, and one or more computer readable hardware storage devices, said one or more hardware storage device containing program code executable by the one or more processors via the one or more memories to implement a method for controlling a second mobile device in response to a first mobile device having no connection to a telephony service, wherein the first mobile device is operable to transmit an identifier to the second mobile device using a network connection that is operable to connect mobile devices and wherein the first mobile device and the second mobile device are operable to join a first group, said broker service apparatus being a computer apparatus, said method comprising:

• using, by the one or more processors, in response to receiving a first control signal comprising a first unique identifier and data from the telephony service, the first unique identifier to identify the first group, wherein the data is targeted to the first mobile device;
• determining, by the one or more processors in response to the first mobile device not being connected to the broker service apparatus that previously assigned the first unique identifier to the first group, whether the second mobile device is connected to the broker service apparatus;
• and
• issuing, by the one or more processors in response to the second mobile device being connected to the broker service apparatus, a second control signal to the second mobile device in order to forward the data to the second mobile device, said second control signal comprising an identifier of the first mobile device,
• wherein the second control signal causes the second mobile device to use the identifier of the first mobile device and the network connection in order to forward the data to the first mobile device.