Patent ID: 7685235

Claim:
A system comprising: an instant messaging server and a plurality of instant messaging client applications, communicating via a computer network to send and receive instant messages in real time, integrated with n-way teleconferencing capability via a telephone network; a teleconferencing server for enabling a teleconference between n-way telephone connections via the telephone network, each telephone connection associated with a participant of the teleconference, and for sending to the instant messaging server: a notification of a status of the telephone connection of each participant of the teleconference; and an indication of a participant in the teleconference who is speaking at a given time; each instant messaging client application including a graphical user interface comprising: a system for indicating to the instant messaging server that a participant wishes to sneak in the teleconference; and a system for displaying information received via one or more instant message from the instant messaging server: details of each participant in the teleconference; and a status of the telephone connection of each participant in the teleconference.