1. Network communication services system for providing communication services between nodes of a network comprising: a plurality of nodes; said nodes comprising: local communications access means for each node adapted to forward a message from a task on a node internally to another task on said node; one or more internode message delivery task means on a first node adapted to forward a message addressed to a second node from said local communications access means on said first node to said second node to internode message delivery task means on said second node and to accept messages from an internode message delivery task means of a remote node for routing as appropriate to: (i) local communications access means if intended for internal use within a node (ii) internode message delivery task means of said remote node monitoring means for monitoring communications link between nodes including: said internode message delivery task means including status monitoring task means for communications connection to other nodes: said status monitoring task means including polling task means for polling said other nodes to determine their status: and reporting means for reporting a detected change in status of said other nodes; said status monitoring task means being adapted to: store status information in a database: for registration of tasks notify tasks registered with it of changes in communication link status of selected nodes.