Patent ID: 8918083

Claim:
A communications device comprising: a processor; and a non-transitory computer readable media storing machine readable instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the communications device to: receive at least one identifier associated with a sending device of a visual voice mail message, the at least one identifier includes a telephone number stored in an address book on the communications device and the visual voice mail message being stored external to the communications device; compare the at least one identifier with one or more stored identifiers, each stored identifier having at least one rule associated with the identifier; and implement a policy regarding the visual voice mail message based on the at least one rule, using a rule to: request a download of the visual voice mail message to the communications device, the visual voice mail message comprising a notification message and one of a voice message, a visual message, a fax message, and a system message; request a download of the notification message to the communications device, the notification message comprising information associated with the visual voice mail message; request maintaining the visual voice mail message stored external to the communications device; request deletion of the visual voice mail message stored external to the communications device; request sending an email message to the communications device, the email message comprising the notification message and one of the voice message, the visual message, the fax message, and the system message; and request both the download of the notification message to the communications device, the notification message comprising information associated with the visual voice mail message and the deletion of the visual voice mail message stored external to the communications device.