Patent ID: 8571592

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving a request to create a conversation over a communication network employing an Internet protocol; creating a conversation identifier according to the request; receiving a plurality of lists of conversation gateways currently unused by a plurality of users; selecting a plurality of conversation gateways to be used by the plurality of users for the conversation, the plurality of selected conversation gateways being selected according to the plurality of lists of currently unused conversation gateways; and associating the plurality of selected conversation gateways and the plurality of users with the conversation identifier, the associating enabling at least a first user of the plurality of users to communicate across conversation gateways with at least a second user of the plurality of users, the first user using a first conversation gateway and the second user using a second conversation gateway that is different from the first conversation gateway; and notifying the first user of an attempt to begin an additional conversation involving the first user when the first user has no unused conversation gateways, and enabling the first user to communicate in the additional conversation using a reserved communication gateway.