Abstract: A method implemented by a client application when executed on a user device during an instant messaging communication between said user device and at least one further device, the method comprising: transmitting a first message comprising media data over a communication network from said user device to said at least one further device; receiving a second message comprising further media data transmitted over said communication network from said at least one further device; determining that the media data and the further media data are of the same data type; and generating a composite media object based on the media data and the further media data in response to said determination and displaying the composite media object on a display of said user device.

Abstract: A method implemented by a client application when executed on a user device during an instant messaging communication between said user device and at least one further device, the method comprising: transmitting a first message comprising media data over a communication network from said user device to said at least one further device; receiving a second message comprising further media data transmitted over said communication network from said at least one further device; determining that the media data and the further media data are of the same data type; and generating a composite media object based on the media data and the further media data in response to said determination and displaying the composite media object on a display of said user device.

Abstract: A method implemented by a client application when executed on a user device during an instant messaging communication between said user device and at least one further device, the method comprising: transmitting a first message comprising media data over a communication network from said user device to said at least one further device; receiving a second message comprising further media data transmitted over said communication network from said at least one further device; determining that the media data and the further media data are of the same data type; and generating a composite media object based on the media data and the further media data in response to said determination and displaying the composite media object on a display of said user device.

Abstract: An instant messaging communication method implemented by a client application when executed on a user device, the method comprising: detecting selection by a user of the user device to transmit a poll message to at least one further device of an instant messaging communication session over a communications network; receiving a search term input by the user using an input device of the user device; transmitting a search request comprising the search term over the communications network to a network entity configured to perform a search for web content; and automatically populating a plurality of poll option fields in a poll message to be transmitted to the at least one further device based on search results received from the network entity in response to transmitting the search request.

Abstract: A method for updating a message exchanged over a communications network during an instant messaging communication session between a plurality of participants each associated with a participant device, the message comprising a plurality of updateable fields, the method comprising: maintaining state information of each of the plurality of updateable fields in a memory; detecting at least one selection by one or more of the plurality of participants to edit at least one of the updateable fields; updating the state information of the at least one of said plurality of updateable fields in response to the detection; and communicating the updated state information to at least one of the participants of the instant messaging communication session.

Abstract: One illustrative embodiment involves executing one or more script-based libraries to serialize an object comprising content that is displayed on a web page in a web browser on a client device. The serialization comprises identifying a string representing raw bytes that identify the object. The embodiment also involves establishing a connection between the client device and a server device, wherein the connection is a full duplex communication channel for communication between the client device and the server device. The embodiment further involves sending, from the client device, the serialized object over the full duplex communication channel to the server device and receiving the serialized object from the server device. The serialized object from the server device is serialized according to the string representing raw bytes. The embodiment further involves deserializing the object from the server device.

Abstract: One illustrative embodiment involves executing one or more script-based libraries to serialize an object comprising content that is displayed on a web page in a web browser on a client device. The serialization comprises identifying a string representing raw bytes that identify the object. The embodiment also involves establishing a connection between the client device and a server device, wherein the connection is a full duplex communication channel for communication between the client device and the server device. The embodiment further involves sending, from the client device, the serialized object over the full duplex communication channel to the server device and receiving the serialized object from the server device. The serialized object from the server device is serialized according to the string representing raw bytes. The embodiment further involves deserializing the object from the server device.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for allocating server application logic across multiple tiers of a server system are described. In one aspect, a method includes hosting a server application on multiple servers. The servers include an application server deployed in a secure tier of an enterprise network and an edge server deployed in an edge tier of the enterprise network. A primary firewall isolates the secure tier from the edge tier and from a public network. A secondary firewall isolates the edge tier from the public network. The edge server is configured to receive requests for services provided by the server application, to perform a first subset of the services, and to relay a subset of the requests to the application server. The requests received by the edge server are sent from at least one client device through the public network and authenticated by the secondary firewall.