Methods and apparatus presented herein allow a non-SIM device to access a paid Wi-Fi network by having a server emulate the non-SIM device as a related SIM-enabled device to a mobile operator. The mobile operator is led to believe that the non-SIM device is the related SIM-enabled device, and thereby grants authorization to the non-SIM device to access the paid Wi-Fi network.

Systems, devices, and techniques for multiple device and multiple line enabled computing devices and computing appliances are described herein. A device number can be assigned to a computing device and can be unique to the computing device. A plurality of alias numbers can be provided to the computing device and enabled for use by the computing device. Alias numbers can be enabled on multiple computing appliances, such that a user can transfer voice or video calls between devices using the alias numbers. Further, monitoring components in a home environment, for example, can be associated with one or more alias number so that security alerts can be provided to the various computing devices and computing appliances associated with the alias numbers.

A method for screening an incoming call is provided. The method may include receiving a transmission of the incoming call in a user device. The method may include determining the incoming call originates from an area code of a telephone number associated with the user device. The method may include determining call information associated with a telephone number is stored within a database. The method may include determining at least one previous call from the telephone number has a call duration that does not satisfy a user preconfigured call duration threshold. The method may include determining the at least one determined previous call satisfies a maximum short call duration threshold. The method may also include determining a previous call frequency count satisfies a user preconfigured frequency threshold. The method may further include displaying the incoming call and an incorrectly dialed call notification on a display screen of the user device.

A method includes establishing a circuit switched call with an automated answering system at a destination, the destination having a communication server associated therewith, transmitting a request to switch to Internet Protocol (IP) communication to the automated answering system, receiving an IP request acknowledgement message from the communication server responsive to transmitting the request to switch to IP communication, and establishing an IP communication session with the communication server responsive to receiving the IP request acknowledgement. Systems and computer program products are also disclosed.

A dialing method for a calling party includes determining a plurality of phone number groups to be dialed in a simultaneous or sequential ringing mode, each of the groups including at least one phone number; and transmitting the plurality of phone number groups and a dialing flag to a calling server. The dialing flag including a simultaneous or sequential ringing flag indicating that the plurality of phone number groups are to be dialed in the simultaneous or sequential ringing mode. The calling party can freely custom multiple phone numbers expected to be rung simultaneously or sequentially and transmit them to a calling server, without registering in the calling server in advance. Thus, the trouble of the user registering the numbers in the calling server may be avoided and the calling server does not need to maintain a large-scale database for storing the multiple numbers at a large cost.

Aspects of the present invention confirm that a phone number is associated with a particular phone. The phone number is confirmed to be associated with the phone by causing the phone to transmit a verification message addressed to that phone number. Receipt by the phone of the verification message confirms that the number is associated with that phone. Another aspect of the invention concerns updating the status of phones in a status list of phone numbers on a phone by sending the status list and updated status of the phone to a network server. The server monitors the status of at least one of the phones in the status list and transmits that status to the phone, which updated status is then displayed in a display area of the phone.

Agencies issue multiple devices to personnel for maintaining distinct identities over the course of assigned investigations. To provide flexible capabilities to agencies, a phone is converted for use with multiple attached telephone numbers. Accordingly, a single phone may be used to manage multiple identities over the course of one or more investigations. Using a multiple attached number, a given device can place and receive calls over the network to and from contacts. In addition to providing multiple attached numbers, calls using the multiple attached numbers may be monitored live and recorded to establish evidence.

A method for routing communication calls via VoIP and via PSTN to communication devices and computer program products thereof A user (B) having a communication device (H) running an application (D) receives a communication call and upon the user (B) having decided, for a given data network, and before the call being received, which one of a VoIP or PSTN interface be preferred for receiving the call, the method comprising: if the VoIP interface is preferred, routing the communication call by a Communication Call Control Service (F) to the mobile communication application (D) as a VoIP call, and delaying the routing of the communication call over the PSTN interface; or if the PSTN interface is preferred, routing the communication call via the PSTN interface as a PSTN call, and if the result of the PSTN call indicates that said communication device (H) is not registered in the PSTN network further routing the communication call via the VoIP interface. Route and combine VoIP and PSTN incoming call alerts to maximise chance for the call to be answered.

Methods and apparatus for improving caller identification in telecommunications services based on general-purpose networks are described. A gateway device may process invitation messages sent from a telephone via a private branch exchange, in which the private branch exchange has replaced the number of the telephone with a customized number. The gateway device may determine that the customized number is mapped to an account-related number, and insert that number into a field of the invitation messages that is examined by a telecommunications provider and associated trunking services for account-related purposes.

Various example implementations are directed to circuits, apparatuses, and methods for providing voice-over-IP (VoIP) services. According to an example embodiment, an apparatus includes one or more VoIP servers configured and arranged to route VoIP calls to and from users of a plurality of customer accounts. Each customer account has a respective plurality of users and a respective settings file. For each of the customer accounts, a processing circuit communicatively coupled to the VoIP servers, records an audio portion of a VoIP call to or from a user of the customer account in response to the VoIP call satisfying a set of recording criteria specified in the settings file for the customer account. The recording criteria for at least one of the customer accounts includes account-level settings for selecting VoIP calls to be recorded and sets of user-level settings indicating criteria for preventing recording of VoIP calls of the individual users.