Abstract: Devices, softwares and methods for network telephony sense if a party that has been placed on hold is talking. If it does, transmitting on hold music or other characteristic sound is discontinued. Accordingly, the other party is not annoyed, such as in a conference call scenario.

Abstract: An apparatus for providing storage is provided that includes a jitter buffer element. The jitter buffer element includes a primary jitter buffer storage that includes a primary low water mark and a primary high water mark. The jitter buffer element also includes a secondary jitter buffer storage that includes a secondary low water mark and a secondary high water mark. A first data segment within the primary jitter buffer storage is held for a processor. A playout point may advance from a bottom of the primary jitter buffer storage to the primary low water mark. When the playout point reaches the primary low water mark, the processor communicates a message for the secondary jitter buffer storage to request a second data segment up to the secondary high water mark associated with the secondary jitter buffer storage.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for enhanced call pickup includes accessing data indicating a current status of each of one or more users in a call pickup group (CPG) with respect to an incoming phone call to a phone number corresponding to the CPG and communicating the data to one or more endpoints of one or more users in the CPG for display to one or more users in the CPG. A display of the data to a first user in the CPG facilitates the first user determining a current status of each of one or more second users in the CPG to facilitate a decision by the first user regarding whether to pick up the incoming phone call.

Abstract: A call authorization system moves state maintenance for authorization based phone calls from a central authorization server to different gateways in a packet switched network. A simple authorization session protocol is used between the authorization server and the gateways to minimize network traffic. The authorization session protocol releases the authorization server from having to maintain states for open authorization based phone calls.