Patent ID: 7885275

Claim:
An integrated messaging system comprising: a packet-based data network; a text-based groupware application, coupled to the data network, operable to manage text-based messages; a messaging communication server (MCS) coupled to the data network and to a communications network, the MCS operable to: provide streaming-media-based messaging service, and receive streaming-media-based messages from the communications network; a directory server coupled to the data network, the directory server operable to: provide a directory service that stores user data, and store user data for the groupware application and the MCS; and an interface module, executing on a server, coupled to the data network, the interface module operable to couple the groupware application and the directory service to the MCS through the data network by performing one or more of a pulling, retrieving, polling, and pushing operations on the groupware application, directory service, and MCS, the interface module operable to: allow the MCS to store information about the streaming-media-based messages, and allow the MCS to deliver the streaming-media-based messages independently of the data network.