Autoplay of status in teleconference via email systems

An apparatus, comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive a status message of a party to a telephone conference;
• a processor configured to
• determine from the status message whether the party will be able to attend the telephone conference;
• when it is determined that the party cannot attend the telephone conference, convert the status message into audio that is saved in an audio file;
• and
• notify a teleconference bridge that the party associated with the status message will not be able to attend the telephone conference, wherein the teleconference bridge creates an entry in a repository indicating that the party will need a voice proxy from the audio file;
• wherein, during the telephone conference, the status of the party is provided to other parties to the telephone conference by playing the audio file.

A computer-implemented method, comprising:

• receiving, at an e-mail server, a status message of a party to a telephone conference;
• determining from the status message whether the party will be able to attend the telephone conference;
• when it is determined that the party cannot attend the telephone conference, converting the status message into audio that is saved in an audio file;
• and
• notifying a teleconference bridge that the party associated with the status message will not be able to attend the telephone conference, wherein the teleconference bridge creates an entry in a repository indicating that the party will need a voice proxy from the audio file;
• wherein, during the telephone conference, the status of the party is provided to other parties to the telephone conference by playing the audio file.