Patent ID: 8606240

Claim:
A method of processing calls in a hybrid communication voicemail system, in which a user of a first telephone system and an alternate telephone system checks voicemail messages at a desired voicemail box, the method processing calls to the first telephone system by routing calls to an alternate telephone system, comprising: receiving a call from a calling party at a first telephone directed to a called party; if the call is not answered at the first telephone, providing one or more options for processing the call, the one or more options for processing the call including providing a designation of an alternate telephone available for routing the call and providing a voicemail box associated with the alternate telephone that is available for receiving a voicemail message from the calling party; receiving a selection of a call processing option; in response to receiving the selection of the call processing option for routing the call to the voicemail box associated with the alternate telephone, determining whether the voicemail box associated with the alternate telephone is mapped by querying a first telephone system database for one or more instructions for processing specialized calls directed to the first telephone, and if the voicemail box associated with the alternate telephone is mapped then routing the call to the voicemail box associated with the alternate telephone to receive the voicemail message from the calling party; and in response to receiving the selection of the call processing option for routing the call to the alternate telephone, querying the first telephone system database for one or more instructions for processing specialized calls directed to the first telephone to determine when to pass the calls to the alternate telephone, and routing the call to the alternate telephone consistent with the one or more instructions.