Method and system for managing internal and external calls for a group of communication clients sharing a common customer identifier

A network element for implementing a virtual PBX feature for a customer associated with a plurality of endpoints, comprising:

• means for receiving information regarding a call;
• means for determining from the information regarding the call if the call is an external inbound call or an internal call that identifies a particular one of the endpoints;
• means for causing the call to be routed to the plurality of endpoints associated with the customer if the call is determined to be an external inbound call;
• means for causing the call to be routed to a particular one of the endpoints if the call is determined to be an internal call that identifies the particular one of the endpoints.

Computer-readable media comprising computer-readable program code which, when executed by a network element, causes the network element to implement a virtual PBX feature for a customer associated with a plurality of endpoints, the computer-readable program code comprising:

• first computer-readable program code for causing the network element to be attentive to receipt of information regarding a call;
• second computer-readable program code for causing the network element to determine from the information regarding the call if the call is an external inbound call or an internal call that identifies a particular one of the endpoints;
• third computer-readable program code for causing the network element to cause the call to be routed to the plurality of endpoints associated with the customer if the call is determined to be an external inbound call;
• fourth computer-readable program code for causing the network element to cause the call to be routed to a particular one of the endpoints if the call is determined to be an internal call that identifies the particular one of the endpoints.

A system, comprising

• a plurality of endpoints for communication over a network, the plurality of endpoints being associated with a customer;
• a network element in the network, said network element implementing a virtual PBX feature for said customer, said network element comprising:
• a switching entity configured to route calls from a respective calling party to a respective called party on a basis of control instructions;
• a control entity configured to generate said control instructions, said control instructions for causing the switching entity to route a given call to the plurality of endpoints or to a particular one of the endpoints, depending on whether the call is determined to be an external inbound call for the customer or an internal call that identifies the particular one of the endpoints, respectively.

A network element for implementing a virtual PBX feature for a first customer associated with a plurality of first endpoints and a second customer associated with a plurality of second endpoints, comprising:

• a switching entity configured to route a call from a calling party to a called party on a basis of control instructions;
• a control entity configured to generate said control instructions, said control instructions for causing the switching entity to route the call to (I) the plurality of first endpoints;
• (II) the plurality of second endpoints;
• (III) a particular one of the first endpoints;
• or (IV) a particular one of the second endpoints, depending on whether the call is determined to be (I) an external inbound call for the first customer;
• (II) an external inbound call for the second customer;
• (III) an internal call that identifies the particular one of the first endpoints;
• or (IV) an internal call that identifies the particular one of the second endpoints, respectively.

A method of implementing a virtual PBX feature for a plurality of customers associated with respective pluralities of endpoints, comprising:

• receiving information regarding a call;
• determining from the information regarding the call if the call is an external inbound call for a given one of said plurality of customers or an internal call that identifies a particular one of the endpoints associated with a given one of said plurality of customers;
• responsive to determining that the call is an external inbound call, causing the call to be routed to the plurality of endpoints associated with the given one of said customers;
• responsive to determining that the call is an internal call that identifies a particular one of the endpoints associated with a given one of said plurality of customers, causing the call to be routed to the particular one of the endpoints associated with said given one of said plurality of customers.