Initiating a conference call includes receiving a conference call request message from an initiating user specifying a plurality of other users and determining an availability of the other users to receive conference call invitations. A conference call is initiated between the initiating user and one or more of the other users that are determined to be available. The availability of one or more of the other users determined to be unavailable is monitored and interaction with a conference call invitation by one or more of the other users determined to be unavailable is enabled upon their monitored availability changing from unavailable to available. The interaction with the conference call invitation by the other users is conditioned on whether the conference call is still in progress.

Systems and methods are disclosed for managing conference calling using a URL assigned to a conference call organizer. One method includes receiving, from a conference call organizer, a request to be placed into a conference call associated with a URL assigned to the organizer; and receiving, from a prospective conference call participant, a request to be placed into the conference call associated with the URL. Another method includes receiving, from a first user, through a web page of a URL assigned to the first user, a first phone number at which the first user can be called; receiving, from a second user, through the web page of the URL, a second phone number at which the second user can be called; and initiating phone calls to the first user at the first number and the second user at the second number.

A method and apparatus are disclosed of transmitting live event notification information to a user device. One example method may include retrieving event user preference information from an event user database based on prestored user preferences. The method may also include transmitting an initial event notification message to an end user communication device based on the event user preference information to notify the end user of an upcoming event and receiving a response message from the end user communication device indicating a current availability of the end user. The user device may receive notification information via more than one communication channel and respond in a number of different ways.

A method includes receiving, at first communication service provider equipment, a request to initiate a session between the first device and the second device. The second device associated with a particular user of a multimedia service provided by second communication service provider equipment. The first device has access to a particular application to access the multimedia service from the second communication service provider equipment. The method further includes sending a message including a call invitation to the second device to initiate the session. The call invitation includes location data related to a connection between the second device and the second communication service provider equipment for transfer of the particular application from the second communication service provider to the second device.

A speech reproduction control system includes a speech reproducer that reproduces speech data in speech, a character reproducer that converts the speech data into characters for reproduction, and a hardware processor that reproduces first speech data and second speech data in parallel, wherein the hardware processor reproduces the first speech data by using the character reproducer, turns off reproduction of the first speech data by the speech reproducer or reproduces the first speech data at a volume lower than a volume for reproduction of the second speech data, and reproduces the second speech data by using the speech reproducer.

An initial data center can be selected to host a communication session between multiple participants. This data center can be initially selected based, at least in part, on a first set of effective distances (e.g., representing distances between the initial data center and the first group of participants modified by effective distance factors). For example, the data center closest to the centroid can be selected. The effective distance factor (or weighting) can be based on one or more of the participant's device/driver type, the participant's network type, the participant's connection type, and a participant weighting factor. Then, as the multiple participants on the conference session change or the effective distances change (e.g., based on a change in connectivity), a second data center can be selected to host the communication session.

Distributed conferencing systems and methods provide local meeting contents to remote participants. In accordance with various example embodiments, a plurality of authorized source units generate media content responsive to and representative of respective content for a meeting. In response to the generated media content, one or more data streams are developed at each authorized source, each stream being a separately-decodable real-time representation of at least a portion of the media content generated at the respective authorized source. The separate data streams are transmitted by each authorized source to a common multicast IP group address for retrieval/access by remote participants.

An initial data center can be selected to host a communication session between multiple participants. This data center can be initially selected based, at least in part, on a first set of effective distances (e.g., representing distances between the initial data center and the first group of participants modified by effective distance factors). For example, the data center closest to the centroid can be selected. The effective distance factor (or weighting) can be based on one or more of the participant's device/driver type, the participant's network type, the participant's connection type, and a participant weighting factor. Then, as the multiple participants on the conference session change or the effective distances change (e.g., based on a change in connectivity), a second data center can be selected to host the communication session.

A method of simplifying electronic communications between a plurality of users by communication implementation and management. Each user has an electronic identifier, which may be of a type, such as a website address, domain, LinkedIn address, etc. Each identifier is unique to each user. The methods disclosed facilitate communication amalgamation between otherwise disparate electronic platforms. In one embodiment, different conference calling platforms may be amalgamated with simultaneous call out to users. In other embodiments, a conference calling platforms may be amalgamated with an electronic communication platform which is not a conference calling platform to render the latter effectively operational as the former in a unified manner.

A system for scheduling and initiating a telephone conference including an application server including: an interface and a parser operably coupled to the interface to extract information from received information. The system may further include a communication server that includes an event database operable to generate an event ID responsive to the received event information and store an event record, and a contact database comprising a plurality of contact records that determines if the plurality of contact records comprises either of the event host or the event participant. The system further includes a telephone interface operable to establish a conference call responsive to the event date and the event time and call each of the event host and the event participant.