Patent ID: 8565225

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a redirecting component that is at least one of included in a local phone, in operative connection with a local phone, or a combination thereof, wherein the local phone is operative to receive an input of a phone number from a user; wherein the redirecting component is operative to determine whether the inputted phone number corresponds to a local phone number or a long distance phone number, wherein responsive at least in part to a determination that the inputted phone number corresponds to a local phone number, the redirecting component is operative to cause the local phone to connect to a remote phone associated with the local phone number, wherein responsive at least in part to a determination that the inputted phone number corresponds to a long distance phone number, the redirecting component is operative to cause the local phone to connect to at least one service associated with an alternative number stored in a memory of the redirecting component, wherein the redirecting component is operative to cause the long distance phone number to be communicated to the at least one service, wherein the at least one service is operative to establish voice communications over at least one IP network between the local phone and a remote phone associated with the long distance number, wherein the redirecting component is operative to update the memory of the redirecting component to include a different alternative number responsive at least in part to communications received from the at least one service, wherein responsive at least in part to a determination by the redirecting component that a subsequently inputted phone number inputted into the local phone corresponds to a long distance phone number, the redirecting component is operative to cause the local phone to connect to at least one service associated with the different alternative number stored in the memory of the redirecting component in order to cause voice communications to be established between the local phone and a remote phone associated with the subsequently inputted phone number.