Web-server to host switchboard interfaces

1. A method for use in a system including a data-communications server to route data communications, including Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls, for a plurality of end-users having respective VoIP-enabled devices, each of the VoIP-enabled devices including communications circuitry for interfacing with a user of the VoIP-enabled device, the method comprising:

via a logic processing circuit that is communicatively coupled to the data-communications server, receiving activity data indicating activity of the plurality of end-users relative to a software platform that supports user services, and determining respective user-activity statuses of the end-users based on received activity data;

via a switchboard server that is communicatively coupled to the logic processing circuit, accessing the user-activity statuses of the end-users determined by the logic processing circuit;

providing a set of services for end-users of the plurality of end-users as a function of the determined user-activity statuses of the end-users; and

routing calls for each of the plurality of end-users corresponding to one of the VoIP-enabled devices.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data-communications server provides an interface for scheduling meetings between the end-users based on the determined user-activity statuses of the end-users.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data-communications server provides virtual office services for the end-users, and a call routing and control circuit responds to at least one of subscription requests from an associated switchboard interface by identifying a plurality of pending calls for the switchboard interface and, for each of the pending calls, communicate a status of the pending call to the switchboard interface.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system further includes at least one switchboard server communicatively coupled to a client-specific server which is to be operated on behalf of a client entity affiliated with certain of the plurality of end-users, wherein each of the at least one switchboard server has a respective contact list, and said at least one switchboard server communicates indications of statuses of pending calls of associated end-users, and carries out a plurality of actions from among the following:

communicate control commands for the pending calls to the client-specific server;

provide a user-activity status of a certain one end-user to one or more of a plurality of switchboard interfaces which has the certain one end-user in the respective contact list; and

receive non-voice communications including short-message-service (SMS) messages, instant messages, electronic memos, email, or combinations thereof, and forward the non-voice communications to respective end-users included in a directory for the client-specific server.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system further includes at least one switchboard server communicatively coupled to a client specific server, wherein said at least one switchboard server communicates indications of statuses of pending calls of associated end-users, and to:

enable and/or disable an auto-answer mode in response to one or more thresholds indicating a frequency of incoming calls to a switchboard receptionist; and

display a status of pending calls for review at a switchboard interface and the switchboard receptionist.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system further includes a switchboard interface that includes a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the GUI is used to select an action for a pending call for the switchboard interface, the action including one or more of the following: answering the call, hanging up the call, placing the call on hold, and any combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system further includes a switchboard interface that includes a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the GUI is used to select an action for a pending call for the switchboard interface, the action including one or more of the following: sending the call to voicemail, forwarding the call to an end-user indicated in a directory, parking the call, and any combination thereof.

8. For use in a system including a data-communications server to route data communications, including Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls, for a plurality of end-users having respective VoIP-enabled devices, each of the VoIP-enabled devices including communications circuitry for interfacing with a user of the VoIP-enabled device, a computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, via the data-communications server, activity data indicating activity of the plurality of end-users relative to a software platform that supports user services, and determining respective user-activity statuses of the end-users based on received activity data;

accessing, via a switchboard server that is communicatively coupled to the data-communications server, the user-activity statuses of the end-users determined by a logic processing circuit that is integrated with the data-communications server;

providing a set of data-communications services for end-users of the plurality of end-users as a function of the determined user-activity statuses of the end-users; and

routing calls for each of the plurality of end-users corresponding to one of the VoIP-enabled devices.

9. A system comprising:

a data-communications server to route data communications, including Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls, for a plurality of end-users having respective VoIP-enabled devices, each of the VoIP-enabled devices including communications circuitry for interfacing with a user of the VoIP-enabled device;

a user-activity detection circuit communicatively coupled to the data-communications server and configured to

receive activity data indicating activity of the plurality of end-users relative to a software platform that supports user services, and

determine respective user-activity statuses of the end-users based on received activity data;

a computing server, including a switchboard server, communicatively coupled to the user-activity detection circuit and configured and arranged to

access the user-activity statuses of the end-users determined by the user-activity detection circuit, and

provide a set of services for end-users of the plurality of end-users as a function of the determined user-activity statuses of the end-users; and

a call routing and control circuit to route calls for each of the plurality of end-users corresponding to one of the VoIP-enabled devices.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the activity data is indicative that one or more of the plurality of end-users is active on at least one network communicatively coupled to the data-communications server based on the user-activity detection circuit sensing said one or more of the plurality of end-users involved in at least one of the following: checking or sending email data, using a scheduling application, using a video conferencing application, retrieving files from a file server by the one or more of the plurality of end-users, and being in an active virtual desktop session.

11. The system of claim 9 , further including a call control circuit coupled to the call routing and control circuit and configured to respond to a change in a status of a call of one of a plurality of switchboard interfaces coupled to the computing server and having an active subscription, by indicating a status of pending calls to the switchboard interface, and further to respond to a subscription request from one of the switchboard interfaces by identify pending calls for the switchboard interface and, for each of the pending calls, communicate a status of the pending call to the switchboard interface.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the computing server is further configured and arranged to, for each of a plurality of switchboard interfaces coupled to the computing server

communicate messages indicative of statuses of pending calls to the switchboard interface; and

communicate call control commands for the pending calls to a client-specific server to be operated on behalf of a client affiliated with certain of the plurality of end-users.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the computing server is further configured and arranged to

receive the user-activity statuses of the plurality of end-users from the user-activity detection circuit; and

in response to receiving a user-activity status of one end-user of the plurality of end-users, provide the user-activity status to one or more of a plurality of switchboard interfaces coupled to the computing server.

14. The system of claim 9 , further including one or more web-based switchboard interfaces, each communicatively coupled to the computing server, wherein

each of the web-based switchboard interfaces is configured to display user-activity statuses of selected ones of the end-users, and

the computing server is to provide a user-activity status of the selected ones of the end-users to one of the web-based switchboard interfaces if each of the selected ones of the end-users is in one or more contact lists accessible to the computing server.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the computing server is further to direct calls in response to call control commands from a web-based switchboard interface on computer devices that are communicatively connected to the switchboard server.

16. The system of claim 9 , further including a web-based switchboard interface to direct calls in an additional server communicatively coupled to the switchboard server via the Internet.

17. The system of claim 9 , wherein the computing server is to provide an interface for scheduling meetings between the end-users based on the determined user-activity statuses of the end-users.

18. The system of claim 9 , wherein the computing server is to provide virtual office services for the end-users, and the call routing and control circuit is configured to respond to at least one of a plurality of subscription requests from an associated one of a plurality of switchboard interfaces by identifying a plurality of pending calls for the switchboard interface and, for each of the pending calls, communicate a status of the pending call to the switchboard interface.

19. The system of claim 9 , further including at least one switchboard server communicatively coupled to a client-specific server, wherein each of the at least one switchboard server has a respective contact list, and said at least one switchboard server being configured to communicate indications of statuses of pending calls of associated end-users, and to carry out a plurality of actions from among the following:

communicate control commands for the pending calls to the computing server;

provide the user-activity status of a certain one end-user to one or more of a plurality of switchboard interfaces which has the certain one end-user in the respective contact list; and

receive non-voice communications including short-message-service (SMS) messages, instant messages, electronic memos, email, or combinations thereof, and forward the non-voice communications to respective end-users included in a directory for the computing server.

20. The system of claim 9 , further including at least one switchboard server communicatively coupled to a client-specific server, wherein said at least one switchboard server is configured to communicate indications of statuses of pending calls of associated end-users, and to:

enable and/or disable an auto-answer mode in response to one or more thresholds indicating a frequency of incoming calls to a switchboard receptionist; and

display a status of pending calls for a switchboard interface and the switchboard receptionist.

21. The system of claim 9 , further including a switchboard interface that includes a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the GUI is to select an action for a pending call for the switchboard interface, the action including one or more of the following: answering the call, hanging up the call, placing the call on hold, sending the call to voicemail, forwarding the call to an end-user indicated in a directory, parking the call, and any combination thereof.