Patent ID: 7130918

Claim:
A method for enabling the sending of messages to a recipient via any of a number of messaging systems of different types, the method comprising: storing addresses for said recipient; receiving a recipient choice indicating at least one of the stored addresses as a preferred address for communication with said recipient; receiving recipient availability information from said messaging systems; interpreting said recipient availability information so as to determine in which of said messaging systems said recipient is currently available, wherein said recipient is considered to be available in at least said messaging system associated with said preferred address; receiving an originator input including an identification of said recipient, wherein said originator input further includes a message; identifying at least the messaging system associated with the preferred address; after identifying at least said messaging system, sending said message from a user device of said originator to said recipient via at least said messaging system associated with said preferred address; and receiving a recipient selection indicating a different at least one of the stored addresses as a new preferred address for communication with said recipient.