Patent ID: 8532270

Claim:
Computer code embedded in a non-transitory computer readable medium and intended to run on a first communication device connected to a network, the code comprising: a bi-directional messaging module configured to (i) progressively generate an outgoing message addressed to a recipient as voice media associated with the outgoing message is created using the first communication device, the message addressed to the recipient using an identifier associated with the recipient and (ii) progressively receive an incoming message containing voice media from the recipient; a transmission module configured to progressively transmit the outgoing message including the identifier over the network to the recipient as the voice media of the outgoing message is created, the identifier and the voice media progressively transmitted to a server on the network, the server using the identifier to locate on the network a second communication device associated with the recipient and to deliver the voice media of the outgoing message to the second communication device; a storage module configured to (iii) progressively store the voice media of the outgoing message in storage on the first communication device as the voice media is created and progressively transmitted and (iv) progressively store on the first communication device the voice media of the incoming message as the voice media is progressively received over the network; and a render module configured to selectively render the voice media of the incoming message on the first communication device in both: (a) a near real-time mode by progressively rendering the voice media as the voice media is progressively received over the network; and (b) a time-shifted mode by retrieving the voice media from storage and progressively rendering the retrieved voice media after the voice media was received and stored, wherein the identifier is a non-IP address identifier that identifies the recipient as a target of the outgoing message and that is resolved into a dynamic IP address associated with the second communication device associated with the recipient.