Patent ID: 8433805

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for determining a preferred method of contacting a contactee, the method comprising: providing a contacting service, the contacting service being connected to a network and having a processor being operable to: collect data pertaining to a contactee from one or more contacting devices connected to the network, the collected data including location information associated with the contactee; store the collected data; the collected data being based upon contactee activities; wherein the one or more contacting devices are located in a plurality of different physical locations, and the collecting of data from the one or more contacting devices occurs dynamically; receive a request from a contactor to initiate contact with the contactee; determine, based on multiple variables derived from the collected data, a preferred method of contacting the contactee, wherein a weight is assigned to each of the multiple variables, the weights indicating an importance of each variable compared to the other variables in determining the preferred method of contacting the contactee; establish contact between the contactor and the contactee using the preferred method automatically without requiring any further input from the contactor, wherein the contactor is unaware of the preferred method of contact; identify a new location visited by the contactee, wherein the location is not associated with the previously stored location information; and request information from the contactee about how the contactee should be contacted at the identified new location.