Integrating messaging server directory service with a communication system voice mail message interface
View Patent ↗An integrated messaging system for performing various types of messaging across different types of networks, including integrated user interfaces and administrator interfaces. Embodiments include a communication server that couples among networks of different types, and an interface module that couples to the communication server. The interface module may be hosted on a messaging server of a network. The interface module pulls various user information from the messaging server, including information relevant to at least the network that includes the messaging server. A cache couples to the communication server and to the interface module to hold information from the communication server and/or the user information pulled from messaging server. The interface module directs a message from the messaging server and/or the cache to at least one device on the networks using the user information.
1. An integrated messaging system, comprising:
a messaging communication server (MCS) coupled to multiple networks of different types;
an interface module coupling the messaging communication server to a first type of network, wherein the first type of network includes a groupware application and a directory service, wherein the MCS performs messaging of a second type, including storing and accessing information particular to the second type in the directory service and wherein the messaging of the second type is independent of the first type of network;
wherein the first type of network includes an enterprise email network, and wherein the second type of messaging includes voice mail messaging;
wherein the information particular to the second type of messaging includes voice mail user attributes and voice mail message information;
wherein the voice mail user attributes include data specific to a user of a voice mail system hosted by the MCS, and wherein the user attributes are relatively small and are changed relatively infrequently;
wherein the voice mail message information includes data of indefinite length, including stored voice messages and one or more recorded greetings;
wherein the voice mail user attributes are stored in the directory service, and are used to access the voice message information that is stored in a database of the groupware application; and
wherein the one or more recorded greetings are stored in the email database as an attachment to a specific hidden email message.
2. A communication method, comprising:
performing voice applications within an enterprise network, including telephony applications;
coupling to a plurality of network types to perform the voice applications, including the enterprise network, and a conventional telephone network;
using a groupware application of the enterprise network to store and access information specific to the voice applications; and
accessing the information to perform the voice applications, including using a network external to the enterprise network;
wherein the voice applications include a voice mail (VM) application for voice mail messaging, and wherein storing information specific to the voice applications includes storing VM user data that is particular to VM users, and storing VM message information that includes VM messages;
wherein storing includes storing the VM message information in a database of the groupware application; and
wherein the storing further includes storing the VM message data in an email database of the groupware application, including storing a recorded greeting in a hidden message in a user mailbox.
3. A voice messaging method, comprising:
receiving a user request to access enterprise voice mail applications in an enterprise;
accessing voice mail user attributes specific to the user in a directory service of an enterprise groupware application;
accessing user voice mail message information in a database of the groupware application;
using at least one of the voicemail user attributes to perform a voice mail function;
wherein the voice mail user attributes include an email mailbox number;
using the email mailbox number to access a hidden email message stored as voice mail message information on the database; and
receiving the recorded greeting as an attachment to the hidden message.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the voice mail functions include:
receiving a user request for access to a user voice mail mailbox stored as voice mail message information in an email database of the groupware application;
accessing voice mail user attributes specific to the user in a directory service of the enterprise groupware application to determine a location of the user's email mailbox; and
accessing the user s email mailbox to retrieve voice mail information for the user.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the voice mail user attributes are stored in a custom attribute.