A method of recording allocation of resources in response to a request for
a data item to be transmitted to a device in the network where the
request comprises data indicative of one or more requested items. The
device is typically a mobile device and the requested items can be key
words making up a search request or can be web site names indicating web
sites of interest to the user. In response to the request, data listings
having items generating a match with the requested data item are
identified and data indicative of a network location corresponding to the
or each matched data item are retrieved. In addition data indicative of
an amount of data and a resource allocation associated with the set of
data accessible via the network location are retrieved and these data,
together with a network subscription associated with device and the
amount of data, are used to evaluate actual usage of network resources
when accessing the set of data. If data are subsequently requested from
the network location the evaluated actual usage is offset against the
resource allocation so as to identify an amount of usage of network
resources to be charged to the network subscription, and a record
associated with said data listing is updated so as to log said resource
allocation event.