System and method of provisioning subscribers in a messaging environment comprising two messaging systems

A method for provisioning subscribers in a messaging system, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a provisioning request at provisioner means of a first messaging system, said first messaging system providing information services to the subscribers and including first subscriber information storage means and first message storage means for storing a first plurality of messages;
• receiving subscriber information at said provisioner means of said first messaging system;
• forming a data array containing said subscriber information;
• transmitting said data array to a second messaging system via an entry point provided by a message handling system provisioning service provider (MPS) means, said second messaging system providing information services to the subscribers and including second subscriber information storage means and second message storage means for storing a second plurality of messages, and said first and second messaging systems being different types of systems;
• and
• transmitting further subscriber information, including a global unique identifier that both messaging systems use to identify subscribers, from said second messaging system to said first messaging system.

A system for provisioning subscribers of a first messaging system to a second messaging system, said first messaging system (105) providing a first set of messaging services to the subscribers and including a store (106, 107) of first subscriber information and a first plurality of subscriber messages, said second messaging system (130) providing a second set of messaging services to the subscribers and including a store (135, 137) of second subscriber information and a second plurality of subscriber messages, said first and second sets of messaging services being different, comprising:

• a first provisioner (110) for receiving data to be used in provisioning said first and second messaging systems;
• an addressing services database (117) containing addressing services data;
• a network application platform (NAP) (115), coupled to said first messaging system (105), including means for retrieving addressing services data from said addressing services database (117) and arranging said addressing services data along with said data received via said first provisioner (110) into a data array for use by an MPS;
• a pass-through and protection mechanism (120) comprising means for protecting said store of first subscriber information from said store of second subscriber information;
• and
• said message handling system provisioning service provider (MPS) (125) operatively coupled to said pass-through and protection mechanism (120) and to said second messaging system (130), wherein said MPS provisions said second messaging system with information received via said first provisioner (110) and said pass-through and protection mechanism (120), wherein said MPS (125) serves as an entry point for said first messaging system (105) to call to pass subscriber information to said second messaging system (130), wherein on return from said entry point said second messaging system (130) provides said first messaging system (105) with additional subscriber information including a global unique identifier that both messaging systems use to identify subscribers.