User configurable routing of VoIP calls

1. An apparatus comprising:

one or more VoIP servers, each configured and arranged to route VoIP calls to and from a plurality of VoIP-enabled devices via a network including a plurality of network paths, each of the plurality of VoIP-enabled devices associated with a respective client account of a plurality of client accounts;

a control circuit communicatively connected to the one or more VoIP servers and configured and arranged to, for each client account, direct the one or more VoIP servers to route VoIP calls using a respective routing policy indicating a set of routing algorithms and a selection algorithm, wherein for each of the routing algorithms in the set of routing algorithms, the selection algorithm indicates a subset of a set of criteria to be satisfied for routing algorithm to be selected; and

the control circuit and the communicatively-connected one or more VoIP servers being configured and arranged, in response to the respective routing policy for the client account and for each VoIP call with the VoIP-enabled devices associated with the client account, to select one of the set of routing algorithms indicated in the routing policy based on and by using the selection algorithm and the set of criteria including geographic origin of the VoIP call, and select network paths of the network using the selected routing algorithm and, in response, cause the VoIP call to be routed over the selected network paths.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein for at least one client account the respective set of routing algorithms indicated in the routing policy includes:

a first routing algorithm for VoIP calls originating from a first geographic area; and

a second routing algorithm for VoIP calls originating from outside the first geographic area.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein for at least one account the selection algorithm is further configured and arranged to select the one of the plurality of routing algorithms as a function of time or date of the VoIP call.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein for at least one client account the respective set of routing algorithms indicated in the routing policy includes:

a first routing algorithm that routes VoIP calls according to cost of the available routes, and

a second routing algorithm that routes VoIP calls according to a service provider associated with a VoIP-enabled device initiating the VoIP call.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein for at least one account the respective routing policy indicates a time range and geographic region of an event and specifies one of the set of routing algorithms to be used for routing VoIP calls to and from the event.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein for VoIP calls originating within the geographic region, the respective routing policy for the least one account:

directs the one or more VoIP servers to route emergency calls made outside of the time range to a first 911 call center; and

directs the one or more VoIP servers to route emergency calls made within the time range to a second 911 call center.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the control circuit is further configured and arranged to:

during the time range of the event, assign a first number of the one or more VoIP servers for routing of VoIP calls to and from the VoIP-enabled devices associated with the at least one client account; and

outside of the time range of the event, assign a second number of the one or more VoIP servers for routing of VoIP calls to and from the VoIP-enabled devices associated with the at least one client account, the first number being larger than the second number.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the control circuit is further configured and arranged to:

during the time range of the event, configure the one or more VoIP servers to only route VoIP calls to and from VoIP-enabled devices associated with the at least one client account.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured and arranged to:

provide an internet-based graphical user interface (GUI); and

modify the respective routing policy for the client account in response to input of an authorized user of the account via the GUI.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the subset of criteria to be satisfied further includes criteria selected from the group consisting of: VoIP device ID, geolocation of the VoIP-enabled device, data or time of the VoIP call, destination number of the VoIP call, carrier preference, and a combination thereof.

11. A method comprising:

for each of a plurality of VoIP-enabled devices, in a response to a VoIP call to or from the VoIP-enabled device:

determining one of a plurality of client accounts that is associated with the VoIP-enabled devices, each of the plurality of client accounts having a respective routing policy indicating a respective set of routing algorithms;

using a selection function indicated in the routing policy of the determined one of plurality of client accounts, selecting one of the set of routing algorithms based on a set of criteria including geographic origin of the VoIP call; and

routing the VoIP call through a network by selecting network paths according to the selected one of the set of routing algorithms.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein for at least one of the client accounts, the respective routing policy indicates:

a first routing algorithm configured to route VoIP calls originating from a first geographic area; and

a second routing algorithm configured to route VoIP calls originating from outside the first geographic area.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein for at least one account, the selection algorithm indicated in the routing policy for the account is configured to select the one of the plurality of routing algorithms as a function of time or date of the VoIP call.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein for at least one account the set of routing algorithms indicated in the routing policy includes

a first routing algorithm that routes VoIP calls according to cost of the available routes; and

a second routing algorithm that routes VoIP calls according to a service provider associated with a VoIP-enabled device initiating the VoIP call.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein for at least one account the respective routing policy indicates a time range and geographic region of an event and specifies one of the corresponding set of routing algorithms to be used for routing VoIP calls to and from the event.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein for VoIP calls originating within the geographic region of the event:

the respective routing policy directs one or more VoIP servers to route emergency calls made outside of the time range to a first 911 call center; and

the respective routing policy directs the one or more VoIP servers to route emergency calls made within the time range to a second 911 call center.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the second 911 call center is located within the geographic region of the event.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising for each of the plurality of client accounts, configuring a respective subset of a plurality of VoIP servers to route VoIP calls to or from ones of the VoIP-enabled devices that are associated with the client account according to the respective routing policy.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the configuring of the respective subset of a plurality of VoIP servers includes configuring at least one of plurality of VoIP servers to only route VoIP calls to and from the event during the time range indicated by the event.

20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

providing an internet-based graphical user interface (GUI); and

modifying the routing policy in response to input of an authorized user via the GUI.