Patent ID: 8611512

Claim:
A method for communicating comprising: storing, at a first access service, outbound message rules that are defined by a sending subscriber of the first access service, the outbound message rules comprising a first outbound message rule that defines a first preferred communications medium for the sending subscriber and a second outbound message rule that controls whether messages are transferred from one access service to another access service; receiving, at the first access service, a message that is sent by the sending subscriber; applying at least one of the outbound message rules to the message received at the first access service; transferring the message from the first access service to a second access service in accordance with at least one of the outbound message rules; reformatting the message at the second access service based on at least one of the outbound message rules; storing the reformatted message at the second access service; storing, at the second access service, inbound message rules that are defined by a receiving subscriber, the inbound message rules comprising a first inbound message rule that defines a second preferred communications medium for the receiving subscriber; and applying at least one of the inbound message rules to provide the reformatted message to the receiving subscriber.