Patent ID: 6987756

Claim:
A communications method for an endpoint being one of (i) an Internet Protocol (IP) telephone and (ii) a telephone coupled to a terminal gateway, the communications method comprising: registering a first line of the endpoint with a first telephony server, and registering a second line of the endpoint with a second telephony server differing from the first telephony server, the first telephony servers registers the endpoint by storing a list identifying endpoints, including the endpoint, in communication with the first telephony server and the second telephony server storing a list identifying endpoints, including the endpoint, in communication with the second telephony server, and at least one of the first and second telephony servers includes information accessible by both the first and second telephony servers and associated with the endpoint, the information including a telephone number, a logical line number, an Internet Protocol (IP) address and a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the endpoint; establishing a first telephone call on the first line of the endpoint to a second endpoint via the first telephony server; and establishing, a second telephone call on the second line of the endpoint to a third endpoint via the second telephony server.