Device control app with advertising

A method for providing to users of devices, to be controlled by an application program running on mobile computers of the users, branding and advertising information about a supplier associated with a sale or service of the devices, the method comprising:

• providing a number of said devices, wherein each device has an identifier associated to a corresponding supplier or its associated agent;
• providing an interface for use by said supplier or its associated agent to register said identifier and to allow said supplier or its associated agent to define said branding and advertising information or to associate said identifier to branding and advertising information content;
• storing in a database information corresponding to an association between said identifiers of said each device and said corresponding supplier or its associated agent;
• providing a generic mobile computer application with a generic appearance and at least one interface element operable to control said devices as resold by said supplier or its associated agents, said generic mobile computer application being stored on an application server for download by the users and installation on said mobile computers, wherein said generic mobile computer application comprises instructions to:
• communicate with said database over a data network to determine one or more network addresses for at least one server corresponding to said identifier and to enable said at least one interface element to control said devices, said at least one server storing said branding and advertising information about said supplier or its associated agent;
• retrieve a specific appearance and said branding and advertising information associated with said corresponding supplier or its associated agent;
• store said specific appearance in memory for repeated use without further retrieval from said remote server;
• and
• replace said generic appearance with said specific appearance while preserving said at least one interface element;
• receiving communication from said generic mobile computer application for determining one or more network addresses for at least one server storing said branding and advertising information about said supplier, wherein said one or more network addresses is determined using said association information stored in said database;
• and
• providing over a network in communication with said generic mobile computer application installed on said mobile computers of said users said branding and advertising information from said at least one server.