Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for delivering enhanced messages to a calling party. A message document address is provided to the calling party that is a pointer or hyperlink to a message document containing a message for the calling party, such as a uniform resource locator (URL) identifying an Internet document. The calling party may receive a message, e.g., when the called party is not available or containing a list of user-specific menu options in an IVR system. The message document can be (i) a static document created; (ii) a default document created; or (iii) a dynamically generated document based on one or more rules that alter the content of the document based on various characteristics of the calling party or the call (or both). The presentation of the message document address to the user can be conditioned upon the satisfaction of one or more rules, such as when the called party is unavailable or based on one or more predefined characteristics of the calling party or the call (or both).

Abstract: A telecommunications system is disclosed for a destination or “target” party to indicate his or her “presence” or availability to receive communications. The presence indication may include various states such as “available”, “unavailable”, “on vacation”, etc. Each time an initiating party attempts to navigate to a target party, the communications system informs the initiating party of a target party's presence status. The initiating party can then decide which menu path to choose: to continue to a covering party for the target party or the target party's coverage path, such as voicemail. In this manner, user frustration is alleviated, fewer telecommunications resources are consumed and both the initiating and target parties can communicate more effectively.