Systems and methods for selectively providing messages in telecommunications systems

A method of facilitating a telephonic communication, comprising:

• receiving a network communication for telephonically calling a called party, the communication initiated by a calling party;
• identifying information associated with the calling party from the received network communication;
• identifying a first preference previously specified by the called party regarding presentation of messages in the course of facilitating telephonic communications with other parties;
• in response to the received network communication, selecting a first message of a plurality of messages in a message database, the message selected based on both the identified information of the calling party and the identified first preference of the called party;
• and
• presenting the selected message to the calling party;
• and
• facilitating the telephonic communication between the calling party and the called party.

A method of presenting messages while facilitating telephonic communications, comprising:

• receiving a network communication from a calling party, the communication for initiating a telephonic call to a called party;
• identifying a preference previously specified by the called party regarding presentation of advertisements in the course of telephonic communications to the called party from other parties;
• identifying an attribute of the calling party from the received network communication;
• accessing a database of stored advertisements from third parties to select a stored advertisement for presentation to at least one of the calling party and the called party in accordance with the previously specified called party preference and the identified attribute of the calling party;
• and
• presenting the selected advertisement to at least the calling party;
• and
• facilitating the completion of the telephonic communication between the calling party and the called party.

A telecommunications message system, comprising:

• a message database containing a plurality stored messages;
• and
• a network subsystem configured to receive a network communication initiating a telephonic communication between a calling party and a called party, and to connect a device associated with the calling party with a device associated with the called party, the network subsystem comprising,
• one or more processors coupled to the network subsystem and the message database,
• one or more memory devices coupled to the one or more processors, and containing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations, comprising,
• providing a first party with a menu of preferences regarding presentation of messages connected with incoming telephonic communications,
• receiving an input from the first party updating at least one of the preferences regarding presentation of messages connected with incoming telephonic communications;
• and storing the updated preferences,
• receiving a network communication from a calling party initiating a telephonic call to a called party;
• identifying a first attribute of the calling party from the network communication, the first attribute of the calling party including at least one of,
• an identifier of calling party initiating a telephonic communication to a called party, and
• the device associated with the calling party in initiating the telephonic communication,
• selecting a first message stored in the message database in response to the identified first attribute of the calling party and with a preference identified by the first party regarding messages to be presented in connection with incoming telephonic communications, wherein the first party is the called party,
• presenting the first message at the device associated with the calling party, and
• connecting the device associated with the calling party with a device associated with the called party to allow telephonic communication between the calling and called parties.