Method and system for mediating and provisioning services

A method comprising:

• utilizing a service providing computer configured to communicate with a plurality of clients via a mediator server, wherein each client is associated with a set of client identifier addresses and uses a set of client terminal devices to communicate with the mediator server, and the mediator server is configured to use a plurality of mediator server addresses for receiving communications from the set of client terminal devices regarding the at least one service provider;
• performing the following acts, at the mediator server, for each of several pairs of client and service provider:
• causing the mediator server to send to a first client terminal device a set of two or more service provisioning messages pertaining to the service provider, wherein at least a first one of the service provisioning messages is in a first communication format, wherein each of the one or more service provisioning messages is associated with a particular reply address, which is selected from the plurality of mediator server addresses;
• causing the mediator server to receive, from a second client terminal device, at least one reply message to the service provisioning messages at the particular reply address, the at least reply message including the client identifier address;
• causing the mediator server to send to a third client terminal device service continuation information by which a fourth client terminal device is able to continue service provisioning in a second communication format which is different from the first communication format;
• wherein the first through fourth client terminal devices are the same or different client terminal devices in the set of client terminal devices.

A mediator server controlling communication between a plurality of clients and at least one service provider, wherein each client is associated with a set of client identifier addresses and uses a set of client terminal devices to communicate with the mediator server, wherein the mediator server uses a plurality of mediator server addresses for receiving communications from the set of client terminal devices regarding the at least one service provider;

• wherein the mediator performs the following acts for each of several pairs of client and service provider:
• sending to a first client terminal device a set of two or more service provisioning messages pertaining to the service provider, wherein at least a first one of the service provisioning messages is in a first communication format, wherein each of the one or more service provisioning messages is associated with a particular reply address, which is selected from the plurality of mediator server addresses;
• receiving, from a second client terminal device, at least one reply message to the service provisioning messages at the particular reply address, the at least one reply message including the client identifier address;
• and
• sending to a third client terminal device service continuation information by which a fourth client terminal device is able to continue service provisioning in a second communication format which is different from the first communication format,
• wherein the first through fourth client terminal devices are the same or different client terminal devices in the set of client terminal devices.

A service providing computer configured to communicate with a plurality of clients via a mediator server, wherein each client is associated with a set of client identifier addresses and uses a set of client terminal devices to communicate with the mediator server, and the mediator server is configured to use a plurality of mediator server addresses for receiving communications from the set of client terminal devices regarding the at least one service provider, wherein the service providing computer is configured to perform the following acts for each of several pairs of client and service provider:

• causing the mediator server to send to a first client terminal device a set of two or more service provisioning messages pertaining to the service provider, wherein at least a first one of the service provisioning messages is in a first communication format, wherein each of the one or more service provisioning messages is associated with a particular reply address, which is selected from the plurality of mediator server addresses;
• causing the mediator server to receive, from a second client terminal device, at least one reply message to the service provisioning messages at the particular reply address, the at least one reply message including the client identifier address;
• and
• causing the mediator server to send to a third client terminal device service continuation information by which a fourth client terminal device is able to continue service provisioning in a second communication format which is different from the first communication format,
• wherein the first through fourth client terminal devices are the same or different client terminal devices in the set of client terminal devices.

A non-transitory computer program carrier having encoded thereon computer program instructions executable in a mediator server for controlling communication between a plurality of clients and at least one service provider, wherein each client is associated with a set of client identifier address and uses a set of client terminal devices to communicate with the mediator server, wherein execution of the computer program instructions causes the mediator server to perform the following acts for each of several pairs of client and service provider:

• sending to a first client terminal device a set of two or more service provisioning messages pertaining to the service provider, wherein at least a first one of the service provisioning messages is in a first communication format, wherein each of the one or more service provisioning messages is associated with a particular reply address, which is selected from the plurality of mediator server addresses;
• receiving, from a second client terminal device, at least one reply message to the service provisioning messages at the particular reply address, the at least one reply message including the client identifier address;
• and
• sending to a third client terminal device service continuation information by which a fourth client terminal device is able to continue service provisioning in a second communication format which is different from the first communication format,
• wherein the first through fourth client terminal devices are the same or different client terminal devices in the set of client terminal devices.

A tangible computer program carrier having encoded thereon computer program instructions executable in a service providing computer configured to communicate with a plurality of clients via a mediator server, wherein each client is associated with a set of client identifier address and uses a set of client terminal devices to communicate with the mediator server, and the mediator server is configured to use a plurality of mediator server addresses for receiving communications from the set of client terminal devices regarding the at least one service provider, wherein execution of the computer program instructions causes the service providing computer to perform the following acts for each of several pairs of client and service provider:

• causing the mediator server to send to a first client terminal device a set of two or more service provisioning messages pertaining to the service provider, wherein at least a first one of the service provisioning messages is in a first communication format, wherein each of the one or more service provisioning messages is associated with a particular reply address, which is selected from the plurality of mediator server addresses;
• causing the mediator server to receive, from a second client terminal device, at least one reply message to the service provisioning messages at the particular reply address, the at least one reply message including the client identifier address;
• and
• causing the mediator server to send to a third client terminal device service continuation information by which a fourth client terminal device is able to continue service provisioning in a second communication format which is different from the first communication format,
• wherein the first through fourth client terminal devices are the same or different client terminal devices in the set of client terminal devices.