Communications system for exchanging data between computers in a network and a method of operating such a system in which communications services are defined within a common object class

A method of operating a communication system to facilitate exchange of data between a first computer (10) and a second computer connected in a network to operate in a client/server arrangement, the first computer (10) employing a different operating system to the second computer (20), and the system having a basic communications application program interface (API), the method being characterised by the steps of:

• employing a first logic means (50) to process requests from a first application (40) running on the first computer (10) for connection with the second computer (20) to carry out one of a plurality of communication services;
• employing a second logic means (90) to instruct a second application (100) on the second computer (20) to carry out the communications services;
• returning data provided by the second application (100) via the second logic means (90) to the first computer;
• and
• storing in each computer in a storage region (60,110) accessible by the respective logic means (50, 90) a single object class for providing definitions for each of the plurality of communication services.