Unified messaging system configured for management of short message service-type messages

A method in a communications system, the method comprising:

• receiving by a short message service center (SMSC) an SMS message from a SMS device;
• forwarding a copy of the SMS message to a unified messaging server via short message peer-to-peer (SMPP) protocol based on SMS subscriber information determined by the SMSC based on the SMS message;
• accessing subscriber attribute information by the unified messaging server based on the SMS message;
• enclosing the SMS message by the unified messaging server into a common format message;
• and
• supplying the common format message to at least one selected destination based on the subscriber attribute information.

A unified messaging server comprising:

• a short message service (SMS) module configured for receiving SMS messages according to short message peer to peer (SMPP) protocol, the SMS module configured for generating a query for subscriber attribute information based on the received SMS message, and generating at least one common format message based on the subscriber attribute information and based on enclosing the SMS message into the at least one common format message;
• a first interface resource configured for accessing the subscriber attribute information based on the query from a subscriber directory according to a prescribed open network protocol, the first interface resource configured for accessing the subscriber attribute information from the subscriber directory according to LDAP protocol;
• and
• a second interface resource configured for outputting the at least one common format message according to at least one of SMTP protocol and IMAP protocol;
• wherein the SMS module is configured for generating a first common format message for storage according to IMAP protocol of the SMS message in a sent directory for a first subscriber having sent the SMS message, and a second common format message for storage of the SMS message according to IMAP protocol in a new message directory for a second subscriber identified as a recipient for the SMS message.

A computer readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions for receiving a short message service (SMS) message by a unified messaging server, the sequences of instructions including instructions for performing the steps of:

• receiving a short message service (SMS) message by the unified messaging server according to short message peer-to-peer (SMPP) protocol;
• accessing by the unified messaging server a subscriber directory, according to an open network protocol, for subscriber attribute information based on the received SMS message;
• generating, based on the subscriber attribute information, at least one common format message based on enclosing the SMS message into the common format message by the unified messaging server;
• supplying the common format message by the unified messaging server to a selected destination according to a selected access protocol based on the subscriber attribute information;
• second generating a new SMS message including subscriber messaging information for a selected subscriber;
• and
• outputting the new SMS message for the selected subscriber according to SMPP protocol;
• wherein the second generating step includes:
• retrieving the common format message as the subscriber messaging information from a subscriber message store having a directory for the selected subscriber;
• and
• inserting the received SMS message, extracted from the retrieved common format message, into the new SMS message.

A unified messaging server comprising:

• means for receiving a short message service (SMS) message according to short message peer-to-peer (SMPP) protocol;
• means for accessing a subscriber directory, according to an open network protocol, for subscriber attribute information based on the received SMS message;
• means for generating, based on the subscriber attribute information, at least one common format message based on enclosing the SMS message into the common format message;
• means for supplying the common format message to a selected destination according to a selected access protocol based on the subscriber attribute information;
• means for generating a new SMS message including subscriber messaging information for a selected subscriber;
• and
• means for outputting the new SMS message for the selected subscriber according to SMPP protocol;
• wherein the means for generating the new SMS message is configured for retrieving the common format message as the subscriber messaging information from a message store having a directory for the selected subscriber, and inserting the received SMS message, extracted from the retrieved common format message, into the new SMS message.