Abstract: A method of controlling communication quality between one node and at least one other node in a packet switched communication system, the method comprising the steps of detecting at one of said nodes a condition that indicates that communication quality is below an acceptable threshold, automatically generating instructions based on the detected condition for a user of the at least one node, said instructions intended to provide a remedy to improve the communication quality, and receiving input from a user of the at least one node responsive to the instructions to implement the remedy and thereby improve the communication quality.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a message delivery system and methods for delivering messages to a computing system. The system uses a message ID structure and a message ID database to allow a user to check whether he or she is recipient of a new message without having to contact the message server that holds messages to be delivered. The resource load related to users checking for messages is therefore left to a separate computing system, allowing the message server to dedicate its resources to the receiving and delivering of messages.

Abstract: There is provided a peer-to-peer telephone system comprising a plurality of end-users and a communication structure through which one or more end-users are couplable for communication purposes. The system is distinguished in that the communication structure is substantially de-centralized with regard to communication route switching therein for connecting the one or more end-users. One or more end-users are operable to establish their own communication routes through the structure based on exchange of one or more authorisation certificates, namely User Identity Certificates (UIC), to acquire access to the structure. The structure comprises an administration arrangement for issuing said one or more certificates to said one or more end-users.

Abstract: There is provided a distributed database system comprising a plurality of participating nodes mutually interconnected via a communication network. The participating nodes include a first subset of storage nodes and a second subset of interfacing nodes. The storage nodes are grouped into a plurality of slots, each storage node having stored therein addresses of substantially all other storage nodes in its particular slot. The storage nodes of each slot further have stored therein one or more addresses of storage nodes in all other of the slots of the system. The interfacing nodes each have stored therein addresses of one or more of the storage nodes. The storage nodes are operable to store one or more data records therein and/or retrieve one or more data records therefrom in response to instructions received from the interfacing nodes. The system is coordinated in operation in a decentralised manner.