FACILITY FOR MESSAGE-BASED CONVERSATIONS

A method and associated apparatus for maintaining the state of a message conversation across separate message exchanges to/from a wireless device includes receiving a message M1 from a wireless device in connection with a message conversation, ascertaining, from message M1, a key, based on the key, obtaining through a repository (a) the identity of a Finite State Machine (FSM) and (b) a plurality of attributes for the FSM including a current state of the FSM, based on the current state of the FSM, and the definition of the FSM, determining (a) a next state of the FSM and (b) an action corresponding to the next state of the FSM, performing the action corresponding to the next state of the FSM; and sending a message M2 to the wireless device, wherein message M2 is configured to further the message conversation.