Patent ID: 7283831

Claim:
A unified messaging system that serves to interconnect a subscriber with a plurality of independently operable messaging services to which they subscribe, each of said messaging services having a separate login and password for said subscriber, said unified messaging system comprising: sign-on service means, accessible to a subscriber via a communication medium, for providing said subscriber with a single point of access for a plurality of independently operable messaging services that are accessible to said sign-on service means via said communication medium, comprising: service-wide directory means for storing said separate login and password data for said subscriber for each of said messaging services, user interface means for providing said subscriber with a single user interface to access all of said messaging services, and user login means for providing said subscriber with a single login to access said single user interface; and unified service access means, responsive to said subscriber selecting at least one of said messaging services, for using said subscriber login and password data to automatically log in to each of said messaging services selected by said subscriber via said user interface to access messages stored therein and share personal address book and calendaring applications among said selected messaging services via said communication medium.