Patent ID: 6603837
Filing Date: 2003-08-05
Classification: H04M,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of cooperating with a local telephone exchange to provide a user with global access to messages, comprising:storing telephone numbers of users; receiving a telephone call forwarded from the local telephone exchange, the telephone call having a destination telephone number that is local to that local telephone exchange and originating from a calling party; comparing the destination telephone number with the telephone numbers; if the destination telephone number matches one of the telephone numbers; identifying a user corresponding to the destination telephone number; prompting the calling party to leave a voice mail message for the user; storing the voice mail message in a first database; and granting the user access to the voice mail message; registering the user with a roaming server associated with a remote telephone exchange that is associated with a geographic region different from the local telephone exchange; distributing the stored voice mail message to a second database of the roaming server; and providing a roaming telephone number that is local to the remote telephone exchange by which the user can access the roaming server.