Telecommunication privacy protection using a high-level programming interface

1. An apparatus for privacy protection in a communication system using a broadband network to provide data communications services, the apparatus comprising:

a communication server configured to:

use instructions written in a first programming language for data communications services that are provided over or using the broadband network on behalf of a data communications service provider for one or more remotely-situated disparate client entities, wherein each of the one or more remotely-situated disparate client entities is associated with an communications services provider account and a plurality of endpoint devices; and

provide the data communications services via the communication server, for the plurality of endpoint devices, by routing data communications in a manner consistent with the instructions written in a first programming language; and

a processing circuit communicatively coupled to the communication server, the processing circuit being configured to:

adjust routing or processing of the data communications services for one of the disparate client entities by:

receiving programming instructions corresponding to a second programming language that is compatible with the first programming language and wherein the received programming instructions include a privacy protection process implemented for data communications involving the one of the disparate client entities;

generating, for the one of the disparate client entities, client-specific control data based on the received programming instructions corresponding to the second programming language; and

in response to the client-specific control data, using the privacy protection process for data communications involving the one of the disparate client entities.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the data communications involving said one of the disparate client entities are transmitted in accordance with medical record privacy requirements and with the received programming instructions.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the data communications involving said one of the disparate client entities are transmitted in accordance with medical record privacy requirements.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the data communications involving said one of the disparate client entities are transmitted in accordance with rules or configurations associated with the received programming instructions.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the data communications involving said one of the disparate client entities includes private customer data, and wherein the processing circuit is further configured to effect routing decisions based on the private customer data.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to route or facilitate communications, associated with or including private customer data, between a medical practitioner and a patient.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein medical records of the patient are forwarded to a medical practitioner using instructions written in one of the programming languages.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said one or more remotely-situated disparate client entities includes a plurality of remotely-situated disparate client entities, each of which is a subscriber to one or more data communications services.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said one or more remotely-situated disparate client entities has a plurality of data-communication locations and each location, of the plurality of data-communication locations, maintains private data that is inaccessible to other locations among the plurality of data-communication locations, the processing circuit being configured and arranged to route communications to an appropriate location of among the plurality of data-communication locations without exposing private data associated with the other locations.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the data communications services are to be provided by data communications provider for a plurality of said one or more remotely-situated disparate client entities, and further including a database storing sets of client-specific private data, each set associated with a respective one of the remotely-situated disparate client entities.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the communication server is to route or handle sensitive data communications by maintaining or protecting privacy associated with sensitive data in the sensitive data communications.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the communication server is to use a set of global rules for determining how to route or handle sensitive data communications involving the plurality of endpoint devices.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the communication server is to use a set of global rules for determining how to route or handle sensitive data communications involving the plurality of endpoint devices, and wherein the received programming instructions specify local rules for routing or processing communications.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the communication server is to use the local rules if the set of global rules specifies that the communication is not to be routed to a receptionist, or if the receptionist rejects or forwards the communication on.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the communication server is to use the local rules in place of the set of global rules in certain circumstances and based at least in part, by data retrieved from a data source, the data source including a client-specific server or database.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the communication server is to use one or more of the local rules or global rules based, at least in part, on a determined level of data sensitivity.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the local rules are associated with one or more customer-specific databases that includes one or more confidential lists of caller IDs for routing communication via server.

18. For use in a communication system, including a processing circuit and a communication server, which provides privacy protection in communications over a broadband network in connection with providing data communications services via the communication server operated on behalf of a data communications service provider, a method comprising:

using the communication server to perform activities consistent with instructions written in a first programming language for data communications services that are provided over or using the broadband network for one or more remotely-situated disparate client entities, wherein each of the remotely-situated disparate client entities is associated with a plurality of endpoint devices, each of the plurality of endpoint devices is respectively associated with an account of a respective one of the remotely-situated disparate client entities, and the processing circuit being communicatively coupled to the communication server;

providing the data communications services via the communication server, for the plurality of endpoint devices, by routing the data communications in a manner consistent with the instructions written in a first programming language;

adjusting, via the processing circuit, routing or processing of the data communications services for one of the disparate client entities by:

receiving programming instructions corresponding to a second programming language that is compatible with the first programming language and wherein the received programming instructions include a privacy protection process implemented for data communications involving the respective one of the remotely-situated disparate client entities;

generating, for said one of the disparate client entities, client-specific control data based on the received programming instructions corresponding to the second programming language; and

in response to the client-specific control data, using the privacy protection process for data communications involving said one of the disparate client entities.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the data communications involving said one of the disparate client entities includes private customer data, and wherein routing decisions for the data communications are effected based on the private customer data.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the private customer data includes one or more of: medical records; financial records; and social security information or other customer-identification information.