Mobile-device-based carrier voicemail reduction

A device comprising hardware capable of providing telephonic capability and of reducing an operating load of a centralized mobile carrier voicemail system, the device further comprising:

• one of software, hardware, and a combination of software and hardware configured to:
• receive an incoming telephone call;
• notify a user of the device of the incoming call;
• and
• provide the user with an opportunity to either optionally engage the centralized mobile carrier voicemail system to manage the incoming call or alternatively to manage the incoming call locally at the device by providing the user of the device with a plurality of options for managing the incoming call, the plurality of options for managing the incoming call comprising:
• an option to divert the incoming call to the centralized mobile carrier voicemail system;
• an option to answer the incoming call at the device, play a greeting to the maker of the incoming call asking the maker of the incoming call to leave a message, and locally record a voicemail on a local storage media of the device without utilizing the centralized mobile carrier voicemail system and without further participation of the user of the device;
• an option to answer the incoming call at the device, play a greeting to the maker of the incoming call asking the maker of the incoming call to leave a message, locally record a voicemail at the device without utilizing the centralized voicemail system operated by the mobile carrier, and screen the voicemail in real time as it is left by the maker of the incoming call;
• an option to answer the incoming call at the device and play a greeting to the maker of the incoming call asking the maker to please hold;
• an option to answer the incoming call and immediately allow the user of the device to participate in a telephone call with a maker of the incoming call;
• and
• an option to cause the device to answer the incoming call and to manage the answered incoming call without immediately and fully connecting the user of the device to participate in a telephone call with the maker of the incoming call;
• and
• an option to answer the incoming call at the device and immediately disconnect the incoming call.

A device comprising hardware capable of providing telephonic capability and of reducing an operating load of a centralized mobile carrier voicemail system, the device further comprising:

• one of software, hardware, and a combination of software and hardware configured to:
• receive an incoming telephone call;
• notify a user of the device of the incoming call;
• and
• provide the user with an opportunity to either optionally engage the centralized mobile carrier voicemail system to manage the incoming call or alternatively to manage the incoming call locally at the device by providing the user of the device with a plurality of options for managing the incoming call, the plurality of options for managing the incoming call comprising:
• an option to divert the incoming call to the centralized mobile carrier voicemail system without sending a text message to the maker of the incoming call;
• an option to divert the incoming call to the centralized mobile carrier voicemail system and to compose a text message to the maker of the incoming call;
• an option to answer the incoming call and immediately allow the user of the device to participate in a telephone call with a maker of the incoming call via a speaker and a microphone of the device;
• an option to answer the incoming call at the device without activating a speaker of the device, play a greeting to the maker of the incoming call asking the maker of the incoming call to leave a message, and locally record a voicemail on a local storage media of the device without utilizing the centralized mobile carrier voicemail system and without further participation of the user of the device;
• an option to answer the incoming call at the device, play a greeting to the maker of the incoming call asking the maker of the incoming call to leave a message, locally record a voicemail at the device without utilizing the centralized voicemail system operated by the mobile carrier, and screen the voicemail in real time as it is left by the maker of the incoming call using a speaker of the device;
• an option to answer the incoming call at the device and play a greeting to the maker of the incoming call asking the maker to please hold;
• and
• an option to answer the incoming call at the device and immediately disconnect the incoming call without activating a speaker and a microphone of the device.