Patent ID: 8798251

Claim:
A method for establishing a computer-enhanced conference call between a plurality of users, comprising: detecting a computer-enhanced conference call event that was configured by an initiating user to initiate a computer-enhanced conference call at a designated time, the conference call being associated with first information concerning authorization for one or more conference users to participate in a collaboration; initiating contact with one or more conference users associated with the computer-enhanced conference call event, including initiating a call with a first conference user at a device associated with the first conference user; initiating a process of connecting the call, wherein the call is intercepted before being connected to the device associated with the first conference user; receiving call information in response to the interception of the call; determining a preferred device for the first conference user based on the call information; determining whether the first conference user is authorized to participate in the collaboration, based on the first information; providing a notification of the computer-enhanced conference call to the first conference user at the preferred device; receiving at least one response from the one or more conference users to accept the computer-enhanced conference call; establishing the computer-enhanced conference call between the initiating user and the accepting conference users based on the at least one received response; establishing the collaboration to share data interactively among the initiating user and one or more of the conference users that are authorized to participate in the collaboration based on the first information concerning authorization, the data being shared interactively during the computer-enhanced conference call; and processing a request from one conference user of the one or more conference users to decline the computer-enhanced conference call by at least one of: receiving a communication from the one conference user which declines the call and sets an alternate contact telephone number, or receiving a communication from the one conference user which declines the call and sets a period of time in which the conference user declining the request is to be contacted again.