System and method for providing remote data access for a mobile communication device

A method for providing remote data access to a mobile communication device, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a connection request;
• establishing a connection with an information source responsive to the connection request;
• receiving information content from the information source;
• providing a plurality of transcoders, each transcoder being configured to transcode information content from a respective input content type into a respective output content type;
• transcoding the information content using one or more of the plurality of transcoders to create transcoded information content;
• and
• forwarding the transcoded information content to the mobile communication device.

A system for providing remote data access to a mobile communication device, comprising:

• means for receiving a connection request identifying one or more accepted content types;
• means for establishing a connection with an information source responsive to the connection request;
• means for receiving information content from the information source;
• means for providing a plurality of transcoders and for transcoding the information content into a transcoded information content using one or more of the plurality of transcoders, each transcoder being configured for transcoding information content from a respective input content type into a respective output content type;
• and
• means for forwarding the transcoded information content to the mobile communication device.

A method of providing data over a network comprising the steps of:

• providing a plurality of transcoders, each transcoder operable to transcode an input content type into an output content type;
• mapping the plurality of transcoders to create a plurality of map entries, each map entry associating one or more transcoders to transcode a respective received content type into a respective accepted content type;
• receiving a request for the information content;
• receiving the information content;
• determining a received content type of the information content;
• determining an accepted content type;
• determining whether the received content type matches the accepted content type, and selecting a map entry to transcode the information content from the received content type into the accepted content type where the received content type does not match the accepted content type;
• and
• transmitting the information content in the accepted content type in response to the request for the information content.