System and method for providing access to a unified message store logically storing computer telephony messages

A method for managing heterogeneous messages, comprising the steps of:

• receiving, at a unified digital server, digital messages from each of a plurality of heterogeneous sources, said digital messages including at least two members selected from the group consisting of:
• email,
• video mail without an email container,
• voice mail without an email container, and
• facsimiles without an email container;
• storing said received digital messages as a first set of digital messages in a unified message store that is capable of managing a plurality of storage types;
• wherein each storage type of said plurality of storage types represents a combination of an organization strategy and a storage strategy;
• and
• transmitting a set of information identifying a second set of digital messages to a client for presentation through a user interface, wherein the second set of digital messages is a subset of the first set of digital messages;
• wherein the step of storing said received digital messages includes the steps of receiving digital messages that are associated with a first application at a container subsystem that presents an abstraction interface that renders transparent to said first application a first underlying storage type;
• and
• the container subsystem storing said digital messages associated with said first application using said first underlying storage type;
• receiving digital messages that are associated with a second application at said container subsystem that presents said abstraction interface that renders transparent to said second application a second underlying storage type that is different than said first underlying storage type;
• and
• the container subsystem storing said digital messages associated with said second application using said second underlying storage type.