Abstract: An application is described, which application detects that a communication device of a called party is not accepting a call from a calling party and initiates a voicemail application in response to the detecting step. The voicemail application includes a plurality of voicemail modules, each of which is a complete and functional voicemail application. The initiation of the voicemail application includes selecting one of said plurality of possible voicemail modules for use, for example on the basis of the identity (or some other characteristic) of the calling party and/or the identity (or some other characteristic) of the called party.

Abstract: An arrangement for generating a telecommunications application (such as a voicemail application) is described. The arrangement provides a graphical user interface that enables a user to select telecommunications application building blocks and to position and connect those blocks on the display in order to define an algorithm. The algorithm can be implemented using pre-defined modules for said building blocks.

Abstract: A voicemail module is described, which module is intended to be incorporated into a voicemail system of one or more end users. The voicemail module includes a plurality of settings, some of which may be provided by the developer and some of which may be provided by the end user. For at least some of the settings that are provided by the developer, a flag or some other mechanism is provided for indicating whether the developer allows the end user to modify the setting. Thus, a flexible voicemail module is provided that enables the developer of the module to retain control of the aspects of the module that can be configured by the end user.

Abstract: An arrangement is provided for detecting that a called party is not (or is not able) to accept an incoming call, such that a voicemail application should be initiated. In response to this detection, a premium voicemail service is initiated, for example by a SIP server that does not typically form part of the mobile operator of the called party. The premium voicemail service selects one of a number of available voicemail services, typically dependent on the identity of the called party and/or the calling party and provides that voicemail service. The voicemail service(s) offered by the premium voicemail service are user-definable. For example, the user may be able to purchase a particular voicemail service, modify and existing voicemail service and/or design a voicemail service.