Patent ID: 6996408

Claim:
A regional message server of a communication system, said regional message server comprising: a first connection for connecting to a first agency, wherein said first agency communicates under a first addressing scheme; a second connection for connecting to a second agency, wherein said second agency communicates under a second addressing scheme; a global directory connected to said first connection and said second connection, wherein said global directory is adapted to provide a common hierarchical addressing scheme for said first agency and said second agency and to maintain both global addresses and local addresses for said first agency and said second agency, and wherein said common hierarchical addressing scheme provides said global addresses by adding to said local addresses additional information that identifies one of said first agency and said second agency; and a central processing unit connected to said first connection and said second connection and said global directory, wherein said central processing unit is adapted to receive from said first agency a message having a global address for said second agency, to substitute a local address corresponding to said global address, and to transmit said message to said local address in said second agency.