Abstract: A call delivered to a called party (12, 120) is branded to identify to the called party the identity of the telecommunications carrier whose network (20) carried the call at least in part. Such branding is accomplished by triggering an announcement mechanism (34, 340) upon receipt in the network (20) of an indication that the called party has answered the call.

Abstract: A method for detecting improper delivery of parameters in an initial address message (IAM), such as a calling party number (CPN), for calls set up to a switch over SS7 trunk groups connected to other carriers is described. When a call originates from a switch other than the local switch serving a caller ID customer, the CPN should be passed, as a parameter in a call setup message called an Initial Address Message (IAM), from the originating switch to any intermediate switches, and from those intermediate switches to the customer's terminating switch. The method allows a switch to reliably and proactively identify when an IAM parameter, such as CPN, is not being received (and should be), from an interconnecting switch, for calls over specific TSGs connecting two switches.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for cluster routing and management of information from a remote node of a communications network to a network cluster in the presence of at least one direct linkset extending between the remote node and the cluster. The communications network includes a cluster and a plurality of nodes for communicating information to the cluster, which includes a plurality of members. The plurality of nodes includes the remote node and a node adjacent to the cluster in direct communication with the members. The method includes providing a direct linkset between the remote node and at least one of the members of the cluster so that the remote node is directly connected to the cluster, and performing cluster routing of information from the remote node to the members of the cluster not directly connected to the remote node.