Converting automatic number identification information to caller ID information

A telephone server system comprising:

• a decoder module for receiving a telephone call from a calling party and for decoding automatic number identification information transmitted with the telephone call, wherein the telephone call is directed to an ANI compatible telephone number assigned to a call recipient;
• an converter module for converting the decoded automatic number identification information into caller ID information;
• and
• a forwarding module for forwarding audio data of the telephone call and the caller ID information to a destination telephone number assigned to the call recipient.

A computer program product for implementing, in a telephone server, a method of providing information about a calling party to a call recipient, the computer program product comprising:

• a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for implementing the method, including the acts of:
• receiving a telephone call from the calling party, wherein the telephone call includes audio data automatic number identification information, wherein the telephone call is directed to an ANI compatible telephone number assigned to the call recipient;
• converting the automatic number identification information into caller ID information that identifies the calling party;
• and
• forwarding the audio data and the caller ID information to a destination telephone number assigned to the call recipient.

A method for providing information that identifies a calling party to a call recipient, comprising the acts of:

• receiving a telephone call from the calling party;
• determining whether the telephone call includes caller ID information that would permit the calling party to be identified;
• and
• if it is determined that the telephone call does not include the caller ID information, performing the acts of:
• transmitting a request to the calling party requesting identifying information prior to the call recipient answering the telephone call;
• and
• receiving the identifying information from the calling party, such that the call recipient can receive information that identifies the calling party prior to answering the telephone call.

In a telephone server, a method for providing information that identifies a calling party to a call recipient, comprising the acts of:

• receiving a telephone call from the calling party, wherein the telephone call is directed to a call recipient and includes information specifying a telephone number purportedly associated with the calling party;
• making a return telephone call from the telephone server to the telephone number purportedly associated with the calling party to determine whether the telephone number is actually associated with the calling party;
• and
• only upon determining that the telephone number is actually associated with the calling party, connecting audio data of the telephone call received from the calling party to an outgoing telephone call made from the telephone server to a destination telephone number associated with the call recipient.