Patent ID: 8675847

Claim:
A method, comprising: receiving a call by a conference bridge, the call being initiated by a first caller endpoint; identifying by the conference bridge a conference to which the call requests entry; determining by the conference bridge whether the conference bridge has available resources to process the call; and enabling the call to join the conference via either the conference bridge or a second conference bridge of a second caller endpoint participating in the conference according to whether the conference bridge has available resources to process the call; wherein enabling the call to join the conference comprises: if it is determined that the conference bridge does not have available resources to process the call, identifying an available conference bridge via which the conference can be entered and assisting the call in being routed to the available conference bridge; wherein identifying an available conference bridge via which the conference can be entered includes: identifying one or more caller endpoints currently participating in the conference; identifying one or more of the identified caller endpoints that include a conference bridge; ascertaining one or more of the identified caller endpoints that include a conference bridge having one or more available ports such that one or more available conference bridges are identified; and selecting one of the identified available conference bridges; wherein each of the one or more caller endpoints currently participating in the conference includes a telephone, a cellular phone, soft phone, or is otherwise capable of receiving and transmitting voice in accordance with Voice over IP.