Communication endpoint supporting multiple provider models

Communication apparatus, comprising:

• a communication interface, arranged to communicate with first and second communication service providers;
• and
• a communication processor, arranged to send and receive communications via the communication interface, and further arranged to run a telephony application, such that upon receiving a request from a first party, submitted via the first communication service provider to the telephony application, to place a call using the application to a second party, the processor selects, responsive to a characteristic of the call placed by the first party, a second communication service provider to carry the call between the application and the second party, and connects the second party via the second communication service provider to communicate with the first party using the application,
• wherein the processor is arranged so that the request is submitted to the application via an application programming interface (API), which exposes a platform-independent call model to the application, and so that the call is connected to the second party responsive to an instruction submitted by the application to the API, and
• wherein the first and second communication service providers have respective first and second telephony signaling stacks, and wherein the call model comprises an abstract call model that is independent of the telephony signaling stacks used in placing calls to and receiving calls from the application.

A computer software product, comprising a computer-readable medium in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a computer that is arranged to communicate with first and second communication service providers, cause the computer to run a telephony application, such that upon receiving a request from a first party, submitted via the first communication service provider to the telephony application, to place a call using the application to a second party, the computer selects, responsive to a characteristic of the call placed by the first party, a second communication service provider to carry the call between the application and the second party, and connects the second party via the second communication service provider to communicate with the first party using the application,

• wherein the instructions cause the computer to submit the request to the application via an application programming interface (API), which exposes a platform-independent call model to the application, and so that the call is connected to the second party responsive to a response submitted by the application to the API, and
• wherein the first and second communication service providers have respective first and second telephony signaling stacks, and wherein the call model comprises an abstract call model that is independent of the telephony signaling stacks used in placing calls to and receiving calls from the application.