Abstract: An Internet protocol (IP) telephony system terminates calls to certain groups of telephone numbers via multiple different telephony carriers. The IP telephony system will discontinue using a telephony carrier to terminate calls if the quality provided by the carrier falls below a threshold level. The IP telephony system includes a quality monitoring unit that determines when a particular group of telephone numbers are intrinsically impaired, such that no carrier could provide high quality when terminating calls to those numbers. In these circumstances, the IP telephony system adjusts the quality threshold to which a carrier's quality is compared when completing calls to the impaired numbers to account for the intrinsic impairment of the telephone numbers.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for routing off-net Short Message Service (SMS) messages between a first service provider network and a terminating service provider network are provided herein. In some embodiments, the method includes receiving a first SMS message including a first identifier associated with a first subscriber of the first service provider network stored in a source address field directed to a second identifier, determining that the second identifier is associated with a second subscriber of the terminating service provider network, associating the first identifier with a local reply identifier in a mapping database, replacing the first identifier in the source address field with the local reply identifier, and routing the first SMS message including the local reply identifier stored in the source address field to the second identifier.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for routing off-net Short Message Service (SMS) messages between a first service provider network and a terminating service provider network are provided herein. In some embodiments, the method includes receiving a first SMS message including a first identifier associated with a first subscriber of the first service provider network stored in a source address field directed to a second identifier, determining that the second identifier is associated with a second subscriber of the terminating service provider network, associating the first identifier with a local reply identifier in a mapping database, replacing the first identifier in the source address field with the local reply identifier, and routing the first SMS message including the local reply identifier stored in the source address field to the second identifier.

Abstract: A system and method for making a VoIP-based and other types of group calls includes a user interface adapted for use by a group call administrator via the Internet, a database manager connected to the user interface, and a database connected to the database manager. In one embodiment of the invention, the group call administrator identifier and one or more group call invitee identifiers is a telephone number. A method includes using call information from the database to initiate conference call connections and an administrator call connection to facilitate a conference call in which the administrators call connections and the participants connections are joined to allow communications between the participants and the administrator.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for routing off-net Short Message Service (SMS) messages between a first service provider network and a terminating service provider network are provided herein. In some embodiments, the method includes receiving a first SMS message including a first identifier associated with a first subscriber of the first service provider network stored in a source address field directed to a second identifier, determining that the second identifier is associated with a second subscriber of the terminating service provider network, associating the first identifier with a local reply identifier in a mapping database, replacing the first identifier in the source address field with the local reply identifier, and routing the first SMS message including the local reply identifier stored in the source address field to the second identifier.

Abstract: A system and method for making a VoIP-based and other types of group calls includes a user interface adapted for use by a group call administrator via the Internet, a database manager connected to the user interface, and a database connected to the database manager. In one embodiment of the invention, the group call administrator identifier and one or more group call invitee identifiers is a telephone number. A method includes using call information from the database to initiate conference call connections and an administrator call connection to facilitate a conference call in which the administrators call connections and the participants connections are joined to allow communications between the participants and the administrator.

Abstract: A system for establishing Internet protocol based telephony communications between a calling telephony device and a called telephony device includes multiple logical elements that help to setup and carry the telephony communication. Multiple ones of the logical elements create call detail records that contain data about the telephony communication. Information contained in the call detail records is used to determine which call detail records relate to the same telephony communication. Once the call detail records relating to the same telephony communication are identified, a global identification number can be written into each of the call detail records to tie them together, or information drawn from the multiple call detail records can be used to create a single consolidated call detail record.

Abstract: An Internet protocol (IP) telephony system terminates calls to certain groups of telephone numbers via multiple different telephony carriers. The IP telephony system will discontinue using a telephony carrier to terminate calls if the quality provided by the carrier falls below a threshold level. The IP telephony system includes a quality monitoring unit that determines when a particular group of telephone numbers are intrinsically impaired, such that no carrier could provide high quality when terminating calls to those numbers. In these circumstances, the IP telephony system adjusts the quality threshold to which a carrier's quality is compared when completing calls to the impaired numbers to account for the intrinsic impairment of the telephone numbers.

Abstract: An Internet protocol (IP) telephony system terminates calls to certain groups of telephone numbers via multiple different telephony carriers. The IP telephony system will discontinue using a telephony carrier to terminate calls if the quality provided by the carrier falls below a threshold level. The IP telephony system includes a quality monitoring unit that determines when a particular group of telephone numbers are intrinsically impaired, such that no carrier could provide high quality when terminating calls to those numbers. In these circumstances, the IP telephony system adjusts the quality threshold to which a carrier's quality is compared when completing calls to the impaired numbers to account for the intrinsic impairment of the telephone numbers.