Patent ID: 7613106

Claim:
A method for effecting a communication between subscribers of an enterprise network, comprising: (a) providing an enterprise network having geographically dislocated first and second network regions, wherein the first and second network regions are in communication with one another through first and second intermediate networks and respectively comprise first and second gateways and a plurality of communication devices, and wherein, in a first operational mode, the first and second network regions are controlled by a common media server and bearer channels for at least substantially real-time communications are routed over the first intermediate network and wherein, in a second operational mode, the first and second network regions are not controlled by a common media server; (b) receiving, by the first network region and from a first communication device of a first subscriber located in the first network region, a request to initiate an at least substantially real-time communication with a second communication device of a second subscriber located in the second network region; (c) determining, by the first network region, that the enterprise network is in the second operational mode; (d) originating an outgoing communication to a selected electronic address, the selected electronic address routing through the second intermediate network and terminating at the second network region, wherein the selected electronic address is not associated with a particular subscriber in the second network region; and (e) after the outgoing communication is answered by the second network region, forwarding, over the second intermediate network, a unique identifier of at least one of the second subscriber and the second communication device.