Importance

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Abstract

The disclosed voice-based communications system and method provides an architecture for communication among team-organized users. After a single, voice accessed log on procedure, a user who is a member of more than one team is able to designate a team and enter a communication session, within which the user can communicate with members of that team, either individually or as a group (by broadcast). After completing communication with correspondents associated with the first-team's activities, the user can transfer to a second communication session, within which communication with members of a second-team takes place. The computer and software that controls the system assures that within each team communication session, communication is permitted only among members of one team. Team membership and the communication services available to each team are controlled by each team's team organizer. Within each team communication session the user is provided with a team mailbox for receiving voice (or, optionally, facsimile or e-mail) messages from members of the team associated with that session. The user is provided with facilities to send voice (facsimile, e-mail) messages to those team members (each having an individual team mailbox). Each user's activity while in a team communication session is tracked so that all communication service charges can be attributed and, typically, billed to the team, enabling users on multiple teams to segregate such charges by team.

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First Claim