Text to speech conversion of text messages from mobile communication devices

A method comprising:

• receiving, at a Text to Speech (TTS) server, a short message service (SMS) message and one or more destination addresses from a mobile communication device, the SMS message including text input received at the mobile communication device;
• converting the text input into an audio message;
• transmitting an acknowledge message from the TTS server to the one or more destination addresses via the Internet, wherein the acknowledge message permits a destination device to allow delivery of the audio message or to decline delivery of the audio message;
• transmitting the audio message from the TTS server to the one or more destination addresses via the Internet in response to the destination device accepting delivery of the audio message;
• receiving, at the TTS server, a reply voice message from the destination device in response to the audio message;
• and
• transmitting a confirmation message from the TTS server to the mobile communication device in response to receiving the reply voice message, wherein the confirmation message indicates that the reply voice message has been received at the TTS server from the destination device.

A method comprising:

• providing a user interface to a display device of a mobile communication device, the user interface including a first area to receive text input and a second area to receive an identifier associated with an addressee device;
• receiving the text input and the identifier via the user interface;
• transmitting a short message service (SMS) message including the text input from the mobile communication device to a Text to Speech (TTS) server for conversion into an audio message and for transmission of the audio message to the addressee device associated with the identifier, wherein the TTS server transmits an acknowledge message that permits the addressee device to allow delivery of the audio message or to decline delivery of the audio message, and wherein the TTS server transmits the audio message in response to the addressee device allowing delivery of the audio message;
• and
• receiving, at the mobile communication device, an email message from the TTS server, the email message indicating that a reply voice message has been received at the TTS server from the addressee device in response to the audio message.