Patent ID: 7441031

Claim:
A method of maintaining up-to-date contact information for a plurality of users, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a plurality of contact information from a first user over a communications network, the plurality of contact information being information about the first user; receiving registration information from the first user over the communications network; allowing only the first user and persons knowing the registration information of the first user to update the plurality of contact information about the first user; receiving access information from the first user over the communications network, the access information defining a first accessible set of information to which a first recipient is granted access, the first accessible set of information being all or part of the plurality of contact information about the first user; allowing only the first user and persons knowing the registration information of the first user to update the access information of the first user; associating a first telephone exchange with the first recipient; associating a first local server computing device with the first telephone exchange; storing the first accessible set of information in the first local server computing device; and allowing the first recipient to access the first accessible set of information stored in the first local server computing device.