Patent ID: 8503637

Claim:
A method of processing call information, the method comprising: receiving a first message from a switch at an external call processing system when a first party originates a call directed to a second party, wherein the external call processing system is connected to but not a part of the switch, the first message including call information including at least the first party's phone number, if available, and the second party's phone number; if the first party's phone number is available, storing in computer readable memory at least a portion of the call information, including an identifier associated with the first party phone number and an identifier associated with the second party's phone number, in the external call processing system; determining if the first party is associated with an existing contact record in a contact data store associated with the second party, wherein the contact record in the contact data store is accessible and editable by the called party and at least when the first party is not associated with an existing contact record in a contact data store associated with the second party, querying during the call: a Calling Name database, or Line Information Database, or a networked site; the Calling Name database, the Line Information Database, and the networked site, for data related to the first party; receiving data related to the first party at least partly in response to the query; automatically populating at least a portion of a call record with at least a portion of the received data; and transmitting a second message, during the call, over a network to a networked computer associated with the first party, the second message including at least a portion of the first party contact record or at least a portion of the received data.