Patent ID: 7460861

Claim:
A system for conferencing communication devices, comprising, at least one conference bridge for providing a multiparty audio conferencing session between the communication devices; a voice interface unit (VIU) enabled for: prompting and collecting of information from the communication devices; playing voice announcements; and receiving validation data from the communication devices via connections between said VIU and the communication devices, said VIU further enabled to forward said validation data to a validating entity; and a conference server enabled for: instructing a switching point to establish at least a first connection between said VIU and at least a first communication device such that said VIU may receive at least first validation data from at least said first communication device and forward said first validation data to said conference server, said switching point enabled to establish connections for the communication devices; validating said first validation data; and, in response to said validating said first validation data: instructing said switching point to terminate said first connection; and instructing said switching point to establish a second connection between said at least one conference bridge and said first communication device to establish said conferencing session.