Patent ID: 6987840

Claim:
In a messaging system, a method of handling a voice mail message and an email message of a subscriber comprising the steps of: receiving an incoming call from a caller, prompting the caller to leave a voice message, recording the voice message in a voice mail box storage facility on a voice mail server, recording the retrieval status of the voice message in a voice message status indicator on the voice mail server sending a copy of the voice message to an email server, saving the copied voice message in a voice message storage facility on the email server, recording the retrieval status of the voice message in a voice message status indicator on the email server, notifying the subscriber of the voice message sent to the email server, updating the retrieval status of the voice message in the voice message status indicator in the voice mail server and in the voice message status indicator in the email server when the subscriber accesses one of the voice mail and email servers to retrieve the voice message, receiving an email message through the email server, storing the email message in an email storage facility on the email server, sending a copy of the email message to the voice mail server, converting the email message to an audio format, saving the converted email message in a converted email storage facility on the voice mail server, recording the retrieval status of the converted email message in a converted email status indicator in the voice mail server, and updating the retrieval status of the email message in the email status indicator in the email server and in the converted email status indicator in the voice mail server when the subscriber accesses one of the email or voice mail servers to retrieve the email message and providing an indication as to whether the subscriber is connected to the Internet, and wherein the subscriber is notified of the voice message sent to the email server only if the subscriber is connected to the Internet.