Patent ID: 8660254

Claim:
A method of managing calls comprising: receiving at a call manager server, an incoming call request to connect a first telephony device to a second telephony device, wherein said first telephony device and said second telephony device are associated with a private network; if said second telephony device is otherwise engaged in another call with a third telephony device associated with a public network, determining at said call manager server if a preemption request exists to interrupt said another call; if said preemption request exists, determining at said call manager server if a preemption policy permits said preemption request, wherein said preemption policy applies to said first telephony device and said second telephony device but does not apply to said third telephony device, wherein said preemption policy includes preemption permissions associated with a plurality of telephony devices including said first and second telephony devices, and said preemption policy permissions contain different determinations of whether preemption requests are permitted or not based on whether calls are emergency calls or not; if said preemption policy permits said preemption request, terminating at said call manager server said another call, providing a notification to one or more of said second telephony device and said third telephony device as to termination of said another call, and completing said call request by connecting said first telephony device to said second telephony device; and, if said preemption policy does not permit said preemption request, invoking a process at said call manager server for managing incoming call requests when said second telephony device is unavailable; if said second telephony device is not otherwise engaged in another call with said third telephony device, completing at said call manager server said call request by connecting said first telephony device to said second telephony device.