Method and telecommunications system for transmitting a facsimile message

A telecommunications system for transmitting a facsimile message from an originating party to a destination, the telecommunications system comprising:

• means for detecting an initiation of a telephone call from the originating party to the destination, the telephone call including the facsimile message;
• means for, regardless of the service subscribed to by the destination, determining if the destination is available at a first time to receive the telephone call;
• means for, if the destination is available at the first time, transmitting the facsimile message to the destination at the first time;
• means for, if the destination is unavailable at the first time, determining whether the destination is listed on a list of priority numbers established by the originating party;
• and
• means for, if the destination is listed on the list of priority numbers established by the originating party, storing the facsimile message on a messaging platform, determining whether the destination is available at a second time, the second time being later than the first time, and transmitting the facsimile message to the destination if the destination is available at the second time.

A method of transmitting a data or voice message from a line of an originating party to a destination using an advanced intelligent network having a plurality of service switching points including an originating service switching point and a destination service switching point, and at least one service control point, and a messaging platform capable of storing a plurality of data or voice messages, the method comprising:

• (a) detecting an initiation of a telephone call on the telecommunications network to the destination;
• (b) suspending the telephone call and launching an information message from the originating service switching point to the at least one service control point;
• (c) determining a destination condition for the destination at a first time using the at least one service control point;
• (d) if the destination condition was “answer” at the first time, launching a transmit message from the at least one service control point to the originating service switching point to transmit the data or voice message to the destination;
• (e) if the destination condition was “busy” or “no-answer” at the first time, determining whether the destination is listed on a list of priority numbers established by the originating party;
• and
• (f) if the destination is listed on the list of priority numbers established by the originating party:
• (i) launching a routing message from the at least one service control point to the originating service switching point to route the telephone call to the messaging platform;
• and
• (ii) storing the data or voice message on the messaging platform.