Patent ID: 8451825

Claim:
A method, comprising: receiving, from a first device, over a first communication channel, a first request for a first connection between a second device and a destination, wherein the first request comprises a reference identifying the second device; in response to the first request, providing, over a second communication channel, a first code to the second device using the reference; receiving a second code over the first communication channel from the first device; determining, by a computing device, whether the first code matches the second code; in response to a determination that the first code matches the second code, storing, by the computing device, information to associate the reference identifying the second device with the first device; and initiating, by the computing device, the first connection between the second device identified by the reference and the destination; and subsequent to the storing of the information to associate the reference and the first device, receiving a second request, including the reference, from the first device for a second connection to the second device identified by the reference included in the second request; and initiating, by the computing device, the second connection without further transmitting a code to the second device identified by the reference for confirmation that the second request is originated from a user of the second device wherein the initiating of the first connection between the second device and the destination comprises: initiating, by the computing device, a third connection between the second device and a connection provider, wherein the initiating of the third connection comprises the connection provider placing a first Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call using the reference to a telecommunication carrier which bridges the first VoIP call to a public switched telephone network (PSTN); initiating, by the computing device, a fourth connection between the connection provider and the destination, wherein the initiating of the fourth connection comprises the connection provider placing a second Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call to a telecommunication carrier which bridges the second VoIP call to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) to the destination; and bridging, by the computing device, the third connection and the fourth connection, wherein the bridging comprises connecting the first and second VoIP calls; wherein a first virtual softphone terminates the first VoIP call for bridging onto a public switched telephone network (PSTN); a second virtual softphone terminates the second VoIP call for bridging onto a public switched telephone network (PSTN); and the connecting of the first and second VoIP calls comprises directing the first and second softphones to establish a direct media connection which does not go through the connection provider.