System and method for managing messages

1. A method performed by a messaging system for managing messages, the method comprising:

receiving a first message, from at least one first telephone number, for a recipient;

receiving a second message, from at least one second telephone number, for the recipient;

identifying one or more senders of both the first and second messages for the recipient, wherein the one or more senders are associated with the at least one first telephone number and the at least one second telephone number;

receiving user input defining a set of one or more user created rules to apply to received messages, wherein the set of one or more user created rules specifies how received messages are grouped, and wherein the set of one or more rules defines a range of user specified telephone numbers associated with the one or more senders, wherein the range is defined by an area code and central office code of a ten digit telephone number, wherein the range includes the at least one first telephone number and the at least one second telephone number;

determining whether the set of one or more user created rules is associated with the one or more senders;

grouping, in response to determining that the set of one or more user created rules is associated with the one or more senders, the first and second messages from the one or more senders under a directory associated with the one or more senders based on the set of one or more user created rules, wherein the directory includes different types of messages received from the one or more senders, wherein the set of one or more user created rules respectively applies to each of the different types of messages received from the one or more senders by type of message;

determining whether the one or more senders or whether the at least one first telephone number and the at least one second telephone number are associated with a particular department of a particular company;

based on a determination that the one or more senders are associated with a particular department of a particular company or that the at least one first telephone number and the at least one second telephone number are associated with a particular department of a particular company, grouping the first and second messages from the one or more senders under a second directory by department and by company, based on the set of one or more user created rules, wherein the second directory includes different types of messages received from the one or more senders, wherein the set of one or more user created rules respectively applies to each of the different types of messages received from the one or more senders by type of message; and

indicating, via a communication device associated with the recipient, a number of new messages, by type of message, in the directory associated with the one or more senders.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the different types of messages include voicemail messages.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the different types of messages include text messages.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the different types of messages include email messages.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the different types of messages include facsimiles received from the one or more senders.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the directory associated with the one or more senders are grouped under a group directory containing other message directories associated with other senders, wherein a user determines the senders belonging to the group directory.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

responsive to receiving a call from the recipient, presenting an audible message indicating an identity of each of the one or more senders of the message along with a count associated with a number of new messages from the one or more senders that are stored for the recipient.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising presenting a group of messages associated with a particular sender in response to receiving a user selection of the group of messages.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

indicating, on the communication device associated with the recipient, the identity of a particular sender of a message along with a count associated with a number of messages from the particular sender that are stored for the recipient.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising displaying on the communication device details associated with each new message that is associated with the one or more senders.

11. An apparatus comprising memory coupled to a processing unit, the processing unit configured to execute instructions stored in the memory for performing operations comprising:

receiving a first message, from at least one first telephone number, for a recipient;

receiving a second message, from at least one second telephone number, for the recipient;

identifying one or more senders of both the first and second messages for the recipient, wherein the one or more senders are associated with the at least one first telephone number and the at least one second telephone number;

receiving user input defining a set of one or more user created rules to apply to received messages, wherein the set of one or more user created rules specifies how received messages are grouped, and wherein the set of one or more rules defines a range of user specified telephone numbers associated with the one or more senders, wherein the range is defined by an area code and central office code of a ten digit telephone number, wherein the range includes the at least one first telephone number and the at least one second telephone number;

determining whether the set of one or more user created rules is associated with the one or more senders;

grouping, in response to determining that the set of one or more user created rules is associated with the one or more senders, the first and second messages from the one or more senders under a directory associated with the one or more senders based on the set of one or more user created rules, wherein the directory includes different types of messages received from the one or more senders, wherein the set of one or more user created rules respectively applies to each of the different types of messages received from the one or more senders by type of message;

determining whether the one or more senders or whether the at least one first telephone number and the at least one second telephone number are associated with a particular department of a particular company;

based on a determination that the one or more senders are associated with a particular department of a particular company or that the at least one first telephone number and the at least one second telephone number are associated with a particular department of a particular company, grouping the first and second messages from the one or more senders under a second directory by department and by company, based on the set of one or more user created rules, wherein the second directory includes different types of messages received from the one or more senders, wherein the set of one or more user created rules respectively applies to each of the different types of messages received from the one or more senders by type of message; and

indicating, at a communication device associated with the recipient, a number of new messages, by type of message, in the directory associated with the one or more senders.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the different types of messages include voicemail messages.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the different types of messages include text messages.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the different types of messages include email messages.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the different types of messages include facsimiles received from the one or more senders.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprises grouping the directory associated with the one or more senders under a group directory containing other message directories associated with other senders, wherein a user determines the senders belonging to the group directory.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for managing messages, the computer executable instructions when executed causes one or more machines to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first message, from at least one first telephone number, for a recipient;

receiving a second message, from at least one of a second telephone number, for the recipient;

identifying one or more senders of both the first and second messages for the recipient, wherein the one or more senders are associated with the at least one first telephone number and the at least one second telephone number;

receiving user input defining a set of one or more user created rules to apply to received messages, wherein the set of one or more user created rules specifies how received messages are grouped, and wherein the set of one or more rules defines a range of user specified telephone numbers associated with the one or more senders, wherein the range is defined by an area code and central office code of a ten digit telephone number, wherein the range includes the at least one first telephone number and the at least one second telephone number;

determining whether the set of one or more user created rules is associated with the one or more senders; and

grouping, in response to determining that the set of one or more user created rules is associated with the one or more senders, the first and second messages from the one or more senders under a directory associated with the one or more senders based on the set of one or more user created rules, wherein the directory includes different types of messages received from the one or more senders, wherein the set of one or more user created rules includes at least one rule for each of the different types of messages received from the one or more senders;

determining whether the one or more senders or whether the at least one first telephone number and the at least one second telephone number are associated with a particular department of a particular company;

based on a determination that the one or more senders are associated with a particular department of a particular company or that the at least one first telephone number and the at least one second telephone number are associated with a particular department of a particular company, grouping the first and second messages from the one or more senders under a second directory by department and by company, based on the set of one or more user created rules, wherein the second directory includes different types of messages received from the one or more senders, wherein the set of one or more user created rules respectively applies to each of the different types of messages received from the one or more senders by type of message; and

indicating, at a communication device associated with the recipient, a number of new messages, by type of message, in the directory associated with the one or more senders.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 17 , wherein the different types of messages include voicemail messages and text messages.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 17 , wherein the different types of messages include voicemail messages, text messages, and email messages.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise grouping the directory associated with the one or more senders under a group directory containing other message directories associated with other senders, wherein a user determines the senders belonging to the group directory.