PROCESSING NETWORK ADDRESS IDENTIFIERS

摘要

The invention provides a method, data processing system and software for generating address identifiers for use in a communications network. The method comprises the step of processing a first address identifier constructed in accordance with a first communications protocol; and the step of constructing a second address identifier, from said first identifier, in accordance with a second communications protocol. The first communications protocol may be protocol Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) and the second communications Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). The invention enables messages to be sent to a SIP URL derived from an SMTP email URL. In the event that the SIP URL is invalid, or unregistered the SIP message is diverted from a SIP defined destination URL address identifier to a corresponding SMTP defined destination URL address identifier for the same user or end system. In this way users may send SIP messages to SMTP address identifiers using the SMTP network protocol and infrastructure (416) and SMTP messages to SIP address identifiers using the SIP network protocol and infrastructure (408, 410, 412).