Customized communication lists for data communications systems using high-level programming

An apparatus for communications over one or more wide-band networks, the apparatus comprising:

• a data communications server configured to interface with remotely-situated client entities using a first programming language that relates to a message exchange protocol between the data communications server and data sources, the data communications server configured as a private branch exchange (PBX) that performs communication routing;
• and
• a communication control circuit including at least part of the data communications server, the communication control circuit configured and arranged to:
• identify, in response to receipt of a data communications telephone communication directed to a particular client entity, client-specific sets of control data that further relate to the message exchange protocol between the data communications server and the data sources, wherein the client-specific sets of control data are derived from instructions written in a second programming language, provided from a communication endpoint operated on behalf of the particular client entity, that is compatible with the first programming language;
• and
• control communication routing by the PBX and for the data communications telephone communication by:
• determining whether to route incoming data communications telephone communications in response to a comparison of at least one feature of the incoming data communications telephone communications and the client-specific sets of control data;
• in response to the determination indicating permission to route the data communications, identifying at least one data source that corresponds to a communication property for the data communications, and providing communication control functionality for the data communications using the data source;
• and
• in response to the determination indicating to block the data communications, executing instructions to block the routing of the data communications;
• wherein the client-specific sets of control data include a client-specific list of approved calling numbers from which data communications may be received by the particular client entity, and a client-specific list of blocked calling numbers from which data communications may not be received by the particular client entity,
• and further including a database server configured to interface with the data communications server and to maintain the client-specific sets of control data, including the list of approved calling numbers and the list of blocked calling numbers for each respective client entity, in a hierarchy in which lower level client entities inherit the list of approved calling numbers and the list of blocked calling numbers from higher level client entities.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a computing server configured and arranged to:
• provide data communications for a plurality of extensions, each respectively associated with an account of a respective client entity, and
• interface with a data communications server configured and arranged to route data communications for the extensions according and responsive to client-specific sets of control data derived from instructions written in a high-level programming language, provided from a communication endpoint operated on behalf of the client entity, the client-specific sets of control data including a client-specific communication blacklist and a client-specific communication whitelist;
• and
• a processing circuit communicatively coupled to the computing server and configured and arranged to adjust routing of the data communications by the computing server by:
• receiving from the computing server, communication event data indicating an incoming data communications to an extension of the client entity;
• in response to receipt of the communication event data, determining whether to route the incoming data communications based on at least one property of the data communications and the client-specific sets of control data;
• and
• in response to the determination indicating permission to route the incoming data communications, instructing the computing server to route the incoming data communications.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a computing server configured and arranged to:
• provide data communications for a plurality of extensions, each respectively associated with an account of a respective client entity, and
• interface with a data communications server configured and arranged to route data communications for the extensions according and responsive to client-specific sets of control data derived from instructions written in a high-level programming language, provided from a communication endpoint operated on behalf of the client entity, the client-specific sets of control data including a client-specific communication blacklist and a client-specific communication whitelist;
• and
• a processing circuit communicatively coupled to the computing server and configured and arranged to adjust routing of the data communications by the computing server by:
• receiving from the computing server, communication event data indicating an incoming data communications to an extension of the client entity;
• in response to receipt of the communication event data, determining whether to route the incoming data communications based on at least one property of the data communications and the client-specific sets of control data;
• and
• in response to the determination indicating permission to route the incoming data communications, instructing the computing server to route the incoming data communications;
• wherein the processing circuit is configured and arranged to receive from an extension of the client entity, instructions written in the high-level programming language to override the client-specific communication blacklist or the client-specific communication whitelist in response to satisfaction of particular criteria;
• determine to deny the received override instructions or apply the received override instructions based on a comparison of the override instructions with the client-specific sets of control data associated with the client entity;
• and
• monitor a frequency with which override instructions are applied by each of the plurality of extensions of the client entity.

A method for use in a data communications system, comprising:

• receiving by a communication control circuit of a data communications server, a data communications intended for a particular client entity of a plurality of remotely-situated client entities, the data communications server configured and arranged to interface with the client entities using a first programming language that relates to a message exchange protocol between the data communications server and data sources;
• identifying client-specific sets of control data derived from instructions written in a second programming language, provided from a communication endpoint operated on behalf of the particular client entity, that further relates to the message exchange protocol between the data communications server and the data sources, wherein the client-specific sets of control data include a client-specific whitelist and a client-specific blacklist associated with the particular client entity which respectively define conditions under which data communications may or may not be received by the particular client entity;
• executing the client-specific sets of control data to retrieve data from at least one data source and to determine whether to route incoming data communications;
• and
• implementing one or more data communications functions specified by the client-specific sets of control data as being conditional upon the retrieved data and the determination whether to route the received data communication.