Region-wide messaging system and methods including validation of transactions

A method for sending and receiving a voice mail message, the method comprising:

• a. providing a data network using at least one standard protocol to transmit messages through the data network;
• b. coupling to the data network a plurality of voice mail servers;
• c. causing, in response to a user's request to initiate a message, a first voice mail server to query a directory for information associated with the message destination provided by the user;
• d. returning at least routing information from the directory so that the first voice mail server can route the message to a second voice mail server associated with the destination provided by the user.

A process for determining the identity of a first voice mail server associated with an originating caller that has left a message with a second voice mail server associated with a receiving caller that may seek to respond to the message, the process comprising:

• ascertaining an identifier associated with the originating caller;
• using the identifier to determine an identity code that identifies the first VMS and correlates with the identifier;
• associating the first voice mail server's identity code with information selected from the group consisting of:
• the location of the first voice mail server, the identity of a first service provider operating the first voice mail server, and the existence of agreements between the first service provider and other service providers;
• and
• determining whether the receiving caller may communicate with the first voice mail server in response to the message.

A system for validating a directory query initiated by a second subscriber served from a second messaging server that has received a message from a first subscriber served by a first messaging server and wishes to respond to the message, the system comprising:

• two or more messaging servers, at least the first and second of which are (i) either located in different LATAs or in different geographical regions, (ii) share a common message transfer protocol, or (iii) are operated by different service providers;
• a directory that stores the identity of the two or more messaging servers and responds to an inquiry from the second messaging server by providing at least the identity of the first messaging server;
• a database, associated with the directory, that specifies rules governing the exchange of data between messaging servers;
• and
• wherein, in response to the query from the second messaging server, the directory either validates or denies the proposed message transfer between the first and second messaging server.

A method for validating messaging transactions handled by two different messaging servers comprising:

• (a) determining (i) a first identity code associated with the message initiator and (ii) a second identity code associated with the message recipient;
• (b) providing the first and second identity codes to a database;
• and
• (c) analyzing validation criteria associated with each of the first and second identity codes in order to determine the validity of the messaging transaction.

A validation method for use in a regional voicemail system comprising at least two different networks, the first operated by a first service provider, the second operated by a second service provider, whereby a data network couples the first and second networks to a messaging server, the method comprising:

• associating the identities of the message originator and recipient with the identities of an originating messaging server and a destination messaging server;
• comparing data describing the originating and destination voice messaging servers to determine whether the voice mail may be forwarded from the originating messaging server to the destination messaging server;
• sending a validation acknowledgment to the originating messaging server that the message may be sent;
• and
• forwarding the voice mail to the destination messaging server upon receipt of the validation acknowledgment.