1. A method performed by a server, the method comprising: receiving a message from a presence client on a user device at the server, the message requesting establishment of a presence context that provides abstracted presence information to the presence client; and establishing, through communication with a presence server that is adapted to store presence information in the form of raw data and state updates received from presentities, the presence context for an application or a service employed by the user device based on the message, the presence context providing the abstracted presence information for at least one of the service, the application or a class related to said application or said service, wherein the presence context abstracts presence information by consolidating presence information from the presence server into a presence aspect using at least one of a rule and policy associated with at least one of the service, the application or said class for provision to the presence client on the user device by the server thereby reducing an amount of data to be transferred to the presence client.