Automatically establishing a telephone connection between a subscriber and a party meeting one or more criteria

A computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of automatically establishing a voice connection between a first party and a second party selected on the basis of one or more criteria other than a telephone number, the method comprising:

• receiving from a first party a request for a voice connection;
• selecting a second party for said voice connection using one or more criteria, wherein said criteria do not include a telephone number;
• and
• initiating said voice connection between the first party and the second party.

A method of facilitating a telephone connection between a subscriber and a general party identified by one or more criteria other than a telephone number, the method comprising:

• receiving from a subscriber a request for a telephone connection with a party meeting one or more specified criteria, wherein said criteria do not include a telephone number;
• determining the availability for said telephone connection of one or more of the subscriber and a candidate party for said telephone connection;
• selecting a party for said telephone connection on the basis of said one or more criteria;
• establishing said telephone connection with the party;
• and
• after the party answers said telephone connection, adding the subscriber to said telephone connection.

A computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of facilitating a telephone connection between a subscriber and a general party identified by criteria other than a telephone number, the method comprising:

• receiving from a subscriber a request for a telephone connection with a party meeting one or more specified criteria, wherein said criteria do not include a telephone number;
• determining the availability for said telephone connection of one or more of the subscriber and a candidate party for said telephone connection;
• selecting a party for said telephone connection on the basis of said one or more criteria;
• establishing said telephone connection with the party;
• and
• after the party answers said telephone connection, adding the subscriber to said telephone connection.

A system for establishing a telephone connection between a subscriber and a general party, comprising:

• a call server configured to receive from a subscriber a request for a telephone connection with a party, wherein said request describes the party with one or more criteria other than a telephone number;
• a selector configured to select the party using said criteria;
• and
• a connection to a call processor configured to establish said telephone connection between the subscriber and the party.