1. A method for communicating with a web browser utilizing a request-response communications mechanism and executing on a first data processing system which is temporarily and intermittently connected to a second data processing system, said method comprising the steps of: determining if the request received from the web browser to the server application is a delayed processing request; storing in a persistent request queue at the second data processing system, a request from the web browser to a server application accessible to the second data processing system if the request received from the web browser is a delayed processing request; providing an interim response to the web browser in response to the request from the web browser irrespective of whether a response to the request has been received from the server application so as to provide a response to the web browser request if the request received from the web browser is a delayed processing request; providing the request to the server application; receiving the response from the server application; providing the received response to the web browser executing on the first data processing system in response to the request if the request is not a delayed processing request and in response to a subsequent request if the request is a delayed processing request.