Patent ID: 8447021

Claim:
A communication system comprising: a user device having: an interface to a network, whereby the user device can be connected to another device on a communication session; an output for outputting a communication stream received from the other device as part of the communication session; a source of play-out stream independent of the communication session and being determined at the user device; and at least one memory that stores configuration settings for the source of play-out stream, the source of play-out stream being responsive to the configuration settings such that content of the play-out stream that is directed from the source of play-out stream to the output when the user device has been placed on hold in the communication session is dependent on the configuration settings; and a communication controller for managing the communication session for the user device, the communication controller being configured to: when it detects that the user device has been placed on hold in the communication session, cause play-out stream from the source of play-out stream to be directed to the output; and when it detects that the user device has been taken off hold in the communication session, cause communication stream from the communication session to be directed to the output.