Apparatus, system and method for monitoring a call forwarded to a network-based voice mail system

A method for monitoring a call forwarded to a network based voice mail system comprising:

• receiving a forwarded call;
• determining whether the call can be monitored;
• if the call can be monitored, then sending a call monitoring alert signal and an activate call monitoring message to customer premises equipment (CPE) associated with a called party;
• receiving an intercept tone from the CPE;
• and
• causing the called party to be connected to a calling party.

A method for monitoring a call forwarded to a network based voice mail system (VMS) comprising:

• receiving a call to a called party number;
• determining whether the call should be forwarded to the VMS;
• if the determination is that the call should be forwarded to the VMS, then forwarding the call to the VMS;
• receiving a call monitoring provisioned signal indicating that call monitoring is allowed;
• and
• in response to receiving the call monitoring provisioned signal:
• sending a call monitoring alert signal and sending an activate call monitoring data message indicating that call monitoring is available to customer premises equipment (CPE) associated with the called party number;
• and
• connecting the VMS to the CPE.

A method for monitoring a call forwarded to a network based voice mail system (VMS) comprising:

• receiving a call forwarded to a voice mailbox associated with a called party number from a central office switch;
• sending a start of greeting signal to the central office switch so that call monitoring is allowed if the central office switch is provisioned to begin call monitoring upon receipt of the start of greeting signal;
• playing a voice message greeting associated with the called party number;
• and
• sending an end of greeting signal upon completion of the voice message greeting to the central office switch so that call monitoring is allowed if the central office switch is provisioned to begin call monitoring upon receipt of the end of greeting signal.

A method for monitoring a call forwarded to a network based voice mail system comprising:

• receiving a call monitoring alert signal from a central office switch (CO);
• in response to receiving the call monitoring alert signal, providing an alert to a called party;
• receiving an activate call monitoring data message from the CO;
• and
• in response to receiving the activate call monitoring data message, going off-hook and engaging a speaker assembly to monitor the call.