Patent ID: 7706817

Claim:
A method for providing group services to subscribers in a telecommunications network, including: receiving a first service request sent by a first originating party of a predefined group in a first communications mode, said first service request including a first telephone dialing number; routing said first service request to a first destination selected on the basis of said first telephone dialing number and the first communications mode; in response to receipt of said first service request at said first destination, confirming that the first originating party is a member of the predefined group, and selecting a first group of participants from the predefined group on the basis of said first telephone dialing number; in response to confirmation that the first originating party is a member of the predefined group and selection of the first group, providing via the first destination a first group service to the selected first group of participants, the first group service having associated therewith the first telephone dialing number as originating calling line identity to facilitate a group reply to the first group of participants by any member of the first group of participants; receiving a second service request sent by a second originating party of the predefined group in a second communications mode, which second communications mode is different from said first communications mode, said second service request including the first telephone dialing number; routing said second service request to a second destination selected on the basis of said first telephone dialing number and the second communications mode, second destination being different from the first destination; in response to receipt of said second service request at said second destination, confirming that the second originating party is a member of the predefined group and selecting a second group of participants from the predefined group on the basis of said first telephone dialing number; and in response to confirmation that the second originating party is a member of the predefined group and selection of the second group, providing via the second destination a second group service to the selected second group of participants, the second group service having associated therewith the first telephone dialing number as originating calling line identity to facilitate a group reply to the second group of participants by any member of the second group of participants.