Method and system for scheduling and initiating a telephone conference call or other event

A method of scheduling and initiating a conference call using an application server comprising an interface and a parser and a communication server comprising an event database, a contact database, and a telephone interface, the method comprising:

• receiving information related to a telephone conference, defining received information;
• parsing the receiving information to extract information from the received information, defining event information, comprising an event date, an event time, an event title, an event host, an event participant, and an event location;
• generating an event ID responsive to the received event information;
• storing an event record comprising the received event information and the event ID on the event database;
• determining if a plurality of contact records comprised by the contact database comprises either of the event host or the event participant;
• transmitting an indication to the application server for each of the event host and the event participant comprised by the plurality of contact records, defining found contacts;
• updating contact records associated with the found contacts with new or changed information comprised by the event information;
• transmitting an indication to the application server for each of the event host and the event participant not comprised by the plurality of contact records defining unfound contacts;
• transmitting an indication about the event record to the found contacts;
• generating a contact record comprising information for the unfound contacts;
• recording the generated contact record to the contact database;
• transmitting a survey to the unfound contacts;
• establishing a conference call responsive to the event date and the event time;
• initiating an outbound call to a first telephone number comprised by the contact record associated with the event host;
• initiating an outbound call to a first telephone number comprised by the contact record associated with the event participant;
• and
• placing each of the event host or the event participant in the conference call upon the event host or the event participant answering the outbound call.

A system for scheduling and initiating a telephone conference comprising:

• an application server comprising:
• an interface operable to receive information related to a telephone conference, defining received information;
• and
• a parser operably coupled to the interface and operable to extract information from the received information, defining event information, comprising an event date, an event time, an event title, an event host, an event participant, and an event location;
• the application server being operable to transmit event information;
• a communication server operable to receive event information from the application server, defining received event information, and comprising:
• an event database operable to:
• generate an event ID responsive to the received event information;
• store an event record comprising the received event information and the event ID;
• and
• transmit the event ID to the application server;
• a contact database comprising a plurality of contact records and operable to:
• determine if the plurality of contact records comprises either of the event host or the event participant;
• transmit an indication to the application server for each of the event host and the event participant comprised by the plurality of contact records, defining found contacts;
• update contact records associated with the found contacts with new or changed information comprised by the event information;
• generate a contact record comprising information for the unfound contacts;
• record the generated contact record to the contact database;
• and
• transmit an indication to the application server for each of the event host and the event participant not comprised by the plurality of contact records defining unfound contacts;
• and
• a telephone interface operable to:
• establish a conference call responsive to the event date and the event time;
• initiate an outbound call to a first telephone number comprised by the contact record associated with the event host;
• place the event host in the conference call upon the event host answering the outbound call thereto;
• upon placing the event host in the conference call, initiate an outbound call to a first telephone number comprised by the contact record associated with the event participant;
• and
• place the event participant in the conference call upon the event participant answering the outbound call thereto;
• wherein the application server is further operable to:
• transmit an indication about the event record to the found contacts;
• and
• transmit a survey to the unfound contacts;
• wherein the interface of the application server is operable to receive a survey response comprising participant information;
• wherein the parser is operable to:
• extract the participant information from the survey response;
• and
• transmit the participant information to the communication server;
• and
• wherein the contact database is operable to record the participant information to a contact record of the plurality of contact records associated with a person associated with the participant information.