Patent ID: 7460493

Claim:
A method of managing conferences via a packet network, said method comprising the steps of: monitoring utilization of a plurality of conference bridge resources within said packet network; maintaining a database of user profiles associating authorized users of said conference bridge resources with respective PIN codes; a host user initiating a call to a call manager to initiate a request for a conference session, wherein said host user identifies a Service ID used by said packet network to direct said call to said call manager; said call manager creating a first Call ID for said call; authenticating said host user according to a respective one of said user profiles to determine an authenticated PIN code for identifying said conference session; allocating a portion of said conference bridge resources in response to said authentication; forwarding said authenticated PIN code to said conference bridge resources; forwarding said call with said first Call ID of said host user to said allocated conference bridge resources; a guest user initiating a call to said call manager using said Service ID to initiate a request to participate in said conference session; said guest user identifying said authenticated PIN code; forwarding said call initiated by said guest user to said allocated conference bridge resources; and bridging said host user and said guest user via said allocated bridge resources in response to said authenticated PIN code.