Distributed service network system capable of transparently converting data formats and selectively connecting to an appropriate bridge in accordance with clients characteristics identified during preliminary connections

Abstract

A distributed service network provides telecommunications and other services to users transparently of where the user accesses the network and the particular client used to access the network. The network comprises a plurality of regions, each comprising a region manager and one or more region servers. A personal agent is defined for each user and is replicated to remote regions in the network from the user's home region as the user connects through those remote regions. The personal agent stores user information including services to which the user is subscribed and preferences set by the user. The region servers include a set of transducers which operate to make services transparent to the actual client used to connect to the network and to the service provider.