ier- archy of directories and hardware methods for securing private keys in devices are used to insure the identity of end points and protect private data in transit across public or untrusted networks. For example, the Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) in a mobile phone contains a subscriber identification module (SIM) with keys used to identify and authenticate subscribers. Another capability in services platform is a standard protocol for connection establishment, referred to as a signaling or control protocol. The signaling protocols enable rapid connection setup, optimization of network resources by deferring allocation of resources until there is agreement between end points or users that communications can begin, setting expectations with end users or devices about how a session will be initiated, negotiating to characteristics that both end points can support, and adjusting communication service algorithms to work acceptably over varying network conditions. Examples of signaling protocols include Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) that is seman- tically similar to the traditional caller/called party interaction over a telephone network augmented with rich session descriptor options to support many types of real-time media; extensible messaging and presence protocol (XMPP) a streaming message protocol that has been used for short messag- ing, presence indications, and to coordinate real-time media connection establishment; and real- time media control protocol (RTCP) that enables monitoring and feedback on the performance of a real-time connection where packet loss, available bandwidth, and jitter may change and the service adapts use of the network to handle these variations and with minimal impact to user experience. Another common capability in a service platform are gateways. These are used to maintain com- patibility with legacy services as new services are introduced and to limit, enhance, and/or capture information exchanged across network boundaries. Some classic examples of gateways include 