Importance

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Abstract

A pro-active message delivery system which routes digitally-encoded messages via public-switched telephone networks and wide area networks to most cost-effectively deliver the messages, subject to security, privacy, and availability considerations. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, digitally encoded messages entered into a wide area network, either directly or via a public-switched telephone network, are sent to their destination using the most cost-effective route, by calculating the cost of sending the message via the available routes, and selecting the lowest cost route. Generally, the lowest cost route might use the node on the wide area network closest to the recipient of the message, or might use or node located in an area which charges off-peak rates at the time of transmission.

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First Claim