System and method for delegating to a local appliance some or all tasks traditionally performed by a central service endpoint in responding to a request from an end-consumer for content, an application, or a service. The local appliance is typically a computer server with associated local storage. Local appliances capable of providing the requested content, application or service, and also handling any security protocols or similar specialized requirements, are identified and selected to service the end-consumer's request, while the central service point retains overall management of the process and can, if appropriate, resume handling of the request in a manner that is substantially seamless to the end-consumer. Other capable local appliances can also be identified, based on network performance criteria, and re-delegation can occur to support movement of mobile devices or other network conditions.