Automatically aggregating contact information

A communication server for automatically linking contact information, the server comprising:

• a memory;
• a processor coupled to the memory, the processor executing a communication application, wherein the communication application is configured to:
• determine match criteria for a contact associated with a contact list of a communication application;
• determine matching contacts from at least one data source according to the match criteria;
• automatically link the matching contacts with the contact associated with the contact list upon one of an initial synchronization operation and an initial bulk import of contacts operation by:
• eliminating duplicate contact information, and
• integrating complimentary contact information into a unified contact object;
• present the unified contact object through a user interface of the communication application;
• and
• continue to automatically link the matching contacts with the contact through an incremental synchronization operation on an on-going basis.

A computer-readable memory device with instructions stored thereon for automatically aggregating contact information, the instructions containing:

• determining match criteria for a contact associated with a contact list of a communication application;
• determining matching contacts from at least one data source according to the match criteria;
• automatically linking the matching contacts with the contact associated with the contact list at a server managing communication services upon one of an initial synchronization operation and an initial bulk import of contacts operation by:
• eliminating duplicate contact information, and
• integrating complimentary contact information into a unified contact object;
• presenting the unified contact object through a user interface of the communication application;
• and
• continuing to automatically link the matching contacts with the contact through an incremental synchronization operation on an on-going basis.