1. A computer-implemented method comprising: executing, by a device, a cross-platform application programming interface (API), wherein the cross-platform API includes functionality to support a plurality of applications, wherein execution of one of the plurality of the applications includes interaction between a plurality of entities within a local network, and wherein the cross-platform API implements a request from the application for the device to participate in a unique conversation, wherein the unique conversation is identified by a topic and independent of a unique identifier for entities, the cross-platform API provides the application an abstracted discovery mechanism by which the application causes the device to discover an entity that is accessible on the local network participating in the unique conversation, wherein the abstracted discovery mechanism performs said discovery by sending messages according to a plurality of underlying discovery protocols and monitoring for a message utilizing one of the plurality of underlying discover protocols from the entity, the sending and monitoring of messages including: sending a first message according to a first of the plurality of underlying discovery protocols, monitoring for a second message utilizing the first discovery protocol from the entity, determining that the second message has not been received, sending, in response to determining that the second message has not been received, a third message according to a second of the plurality of underlying discovery protocols, and receiving a fourth message utilizing the second discovery protocol from the entity, and the cross-platform API provides the application with a message passing mechanism by which the application causes the device to exchange messages related to the unique conversation with the entity.
1. A computer-implemented method comprising: executing, by a device, a cross-platform application programming interface (API), wherein the cross-platform API includes functionality to support a plurality of applications, wherein execution of one of the plurality of the applications includes interaction between a plurality of entities within a local network, and wherein the cross-platform API implements a request from the application for the device to participate in a unique conversation, wherein the unique conversation is identified by a topic and independent of a unique identifier for entities, the cross-platform API provides the application an abstracted discovery mechanism by which the application causes the device to discover an entity that is accessible on the local network participating in the unique conversation, wherein the abstracted discovery mechanism performs said discovery by sending messages according to a plurality of underlying discovery protocols and monitoring for a message utilizing one of the plurality of underlying discover protocols from the entity, the sending and monitoring of messages including: sending a first message according to a first of the plurality of underlying discovery protocols, monitoring for a second message utilizing the first discovery protocol from the entity, determining that the second message has not been received, sending, in response to determining that the second message has not been received, a third message according to a second of the plurality of underlying discovery protocols, and receiving a fourth message utilizing the second discovery protocol from the entity, and the cross-platform API provides the application with a message passing mechanism by which the application causes the device to exchange messages related to the unique conversation with the entity. 8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the entity participates in the unique conversation as a proxy for one or more services to which the entity has access.