Patent ID: 7006818

Claim:
In a private network, an apparatus that provides voicemail service to subscribers of both a private network and a public network, the public network including a voicemail system and a status register that effects routing of an incoming call by a calling party to the voicemail system, said apparatus comprising: (a) an availability indicator that indicates availability of the private network subscriber to receive incoming call; (b) an out-dialer that out-dials calls to the public network; (c) a signaling channel that sends control signal to the public network; and (d) a controller responsive to the availability indicator to issue the control signal on the signaling channel to alter the status of the status register in the public network in order to route calls to the voicemail system, to initiate outdialing by the out-dialer to establish a link with the public network, and to interconnect the call on the private network with the voicemail system of the public network over the link established by the out-dialer.