Access point management

1. A method comprising:

selecting one of a plurality of clients, wherein:

each said client has a client profile which describes the client's experience with one or more of a plurality of access points; and

the selecting is performed based on one or more said client profiles; and

determining whether at least one said access point utilized by the selected client should be replaced by another said access point by establishing whether a difference between a connectivity score for the at least one said access point and a connectivity score for the other said access point exceeds a value.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein when the difference does not exceed the value, the at least one said access point is not replaced by the other said access point in an access point list for communication to the selected client.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein when the difference exceeds the value, further comprising forming an access point list for communication to the selected client which references the other said access point and does not reference the at least one said access point.

4. A method as described in claim 1, wherein each said connectivity score for each access point is computed according to a business rule which includes a weighted value relating to access point cost and a weighted value relating to access point quality of service.

5. A method as described in claim 4, wherein the business rule includes one or more other factors selected from the group consisting of:

cost;

quality of service;

provider preference; and

client state.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the business rule defines an equilibrium for use of the plurality of access points by the plurality of clients.

7. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the other said access point is configured to provide Internet access to the selected client.

8. A method as described in claim 1, wherein each said client profile is generated using one or more client logs obtained from a respective said client.

9. A method comprising managing use of a plurality of access points by a plurality of clients by:

processing data according to one or more business rules to achieve a connectivity score for each said access point; and

forming a plurality of access point lists, wherein each said access point list:

is for communication to a respective said client; and

references at least one said access point for use by the respective said client based on a respective said connectivity score.

10. A method as described in claim 9, wherein the forming includes determining whether another said access point utilized by the respective said client should be replaced by the at least one said access point by establishing whether a difference between a connectivity score for the other said access point and a connectivity score for the at least one said access point exceeds a value.

11. A method as described in claim 9, wherein the data includes a plurality of client logs obtained from one or more said clients.

12. A method as described in claim 9, further comprising communicating each said access point list to the respective said client over a network.

13. A method as described in claim 9, further comprising creating the one or more business rules, wherein:

the one or more business rules include a plurality of factors;

one said factor references an access point cost;

another said factor references access point quality; and

the one said factor and the other said factor are each assigned a respective weight.

14. A method as described in claim 13, wherein the business rule includes one or more other factors selected from the group consisting of:

cost;

quality of service;

provider preference; and

client state.

15. A method as described in claim 9, further comprising selecting at least one said client for communication of a corresponding one of the plurality of access point lists based on a client profile.

16. A method comprising:

creating a business rule, wherein:

the business rule includes a plurality of factors;

one said factor references cost of providing an access point;

another said factor references quality of the access point;

the one said factor and the other said factor are each assigned a respective weight; and

applying the business rule and an inertia value to determine which of a plurality of said access points are included in an access point list for communication to a respective one of a plurality of clients.

17. A method as described in claim 16, wherein the applying is performed to obtain an equilibrium of use of the plurality of said access points by the plurality of clients which reflects a relationship of the plurality of factors included in the business rule.

18. A method as described in claim 16, wherein the applying of the business rule and the inertia value includes establishing whether a difference between a connectivity score generated by the business rule for at least one said access point and a connectivity score generated by the business rule for another said access point exceeds the inertia value.

19. A method as described in claim 16, wherein the business rule includes one or more other factors selected from the group consisting of:

cost;

quality of service;

provider preference; and

client state.

20. A method as described in claim 16, further comprising communicating the access point list to the respective one said client over a network.