Technique for providing personalized information and communications services

A system for connecting a calling party to a called party comprising:

• a memory configured to:
• store, in a directory associated with a first party, information comprising at least a selected telephone number to be used to contact a second party different from the first party;
• a first interface configure to:
• receive from the first party a request to designate the selected telephone number as a number that is only to be disclosed to a predetermined group of persons;
• a first processor configured to:
• store in the directory, in association with the selected telephone number, an indicator that indicates that the selected telephone number is only to be disclosed to the predetermined group of persons;
• a second interface configured to:
• receive from a third party through a first communication link communications to an agent, the communications including a request for connecting the third party to the second party, the agent in response to the request causing an issuance of a call to the second party;
• a second processor configured to:
• establish a second communication link in issuing the call without disclosing the selected telephone number to the third party, if the third party is not a member of the predetermined group;
• and
• a device configured to:
• receive from the third party at least one message for transmission to the second party for the second party to consider before answering the call;
• and
• a switch configured to:
• bridge the first communication link to the second communication link.

A method for providing a directory for a party, the method comprising:

• receiving from a first party associated with a calling telephone number a request for a desired telephone number associated with a second party;
• accessing a directory associated with a third party, the directory comprising one or more telephone numbers to be used to contact respective parties different from the third party and at least one indicator indicating that a respective telephone number is to be disclosed only to members of a first predetermined group of persons;
• locating the desired telephone number in the directory;
• determining whether an indicator is stored in the directory in association with the desired telephone number, indicating that the desired telephone number is to be disclosed only to members of the first predetermined group of persons;
• if the indicator is stored in the directory in association with the desired telephone number:
• determining an identity of the first party;
• determining whether the first party is a member of a second predetermined group of persons that includes the first predetermined group of persons;
• allowing the first party to access the directory only if the first party is a member of a second predetermined group of persons initiating communications between the first party and the second party;
• establishing a first communication connection to the desired telephone number, and a second communication connection to the calling telephone number;
• and
• bridging the first communication connection to the second communication connection to realize the communications between the first party and the second party, without providing the desired telephone number to the first party, if it is determined that the first party is not a member of the first predetermined group of persons.

A method for use in a system for connecting a calling party to a called party, the method comprising:

• storing, in a directory associated with a first party, information comprising at least a selected telephone number to be used to contact a second party different from the first party;
• receiving from the first party a request to designate the selected telephone number as a number that is only to be disclosed to a predetermined group of persons;
• storing in the directory, in association with the selected telephone number, an indicator that indicates that the selected telephone number is only to be disclosed to the predetermined group of persons;
• receiving from a third party through a first communication link communications to an agent, the communications including a request for connecting the third party to the second party, the agent in response to the request causing an issuance of a call to the second party;
• establishing a second communication link in issuing the call without disclosing the selected telephone number to the third party, if the third party is not a member of the predetermined group;
• receiving from the third party at least one message for transmission to the second party for the second party to consider before answering the call;
• and
• bridging the first communication link to the second communication link.

A directory system for use by a user to protect the privacy of selected telephone numbers in a directory, the system comprising:

• an interface configured to:
• receive from a calling party associated with a calling telephone number a request for a selected telephone number associated with a second party;
• a processor configured to:
• locate, in a directory identified by the calling telephone number, the selected telephone number and information indicating that the selected telephone number is to be disclosed only to members of a first predetermined group of persons;
• determine an identity of the calling party;
• determine whether the calling party is a member of a second predetermined group of persons that includes the first predetermined group of persons;
• allow the calling party to access the directory only if the calling party is a member of the second predetermined group of persons and
• determine whether the calling party has a right to receive the selected telephone number based, at least in part, the information and the identity of the calling party;
• a device configured to:
• initiate communications between the calling party and the second party;
• and a switching subsystem configured to:
• establish a first communication connection to the selected telephone number, and
• a second communication connection to the calling telephone number, and for bridging the first communication connection to the second communication connection to realize the communications between the calling party and the second party without providing the selected telephone number to the calling party, if the calling party has no right to receive the selected telephone number.