System and method of providing IMS services to users on originating non IMS devices and other devices that do not have a previous relationship with the user

A network-based device comprising:

• a processor;
• a computer readable storage medium having instructions stored which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
• receiving a communication from a user, via a first device upon which the user is not registered, at a 2-stage dialing server to initiate a session between the user and a called party, as part of operating an internet protocol multimedia subsystem to provide internet protocol multimedia subsystem services to originating sessions from the first device;
• and responsive to the communication, initiating the session by:
• authenticating the user;
• determining a public user identifier of the user for the session by retrieving one or more allowed public user identifiers for the user and, if there are more than one allowed public user identifiers, to engage in a dialog with the user via the first device to obtain a selection of one of the allowed public user identifiers as the public user identifier for the session;
• receiving an identification of the called party from the user via the first device;
• arranging for internet protocol multimedia subsystem services to be provided to the user on the first device;
• and wherein the 2-stage dialing server receives an INVITE signal using a call/session control function selected based on a uniform resource identifier of the 2-stage dialing server;
• and subsequently sending the INVITE signal from the 2-stage dialing server on behalf of the public user identifier to the called party, wherein the INVITE signal is sent from the 2-stage dialing server using a call/session control function selected based on the public user identifier and wherein a same call/session control function is used for all the allowed public user identifiers of the user until a last allowed public user identifier of the user has been de-registered from all contact addresses, and setting up a media connection from the first device to a second device associated with the called party.

A computer-readable storage device having instructions stored which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

• receiving a communication from a user, via a first device upon which the user is not registered, at a 2-stage dialing server to initiate a session between the user and a called party, as part of operating an internet protocol multimedia subsystem to provide internet protocol multimedia subsystem services to originating sessions from the first device;
• and responsive to the communication, initiating the session by:
• authenticating the user;
• determining a public user identifier for the user for the session by retrieving one or more allowed public user identifiers for the user and, if there are more than one allowed public user identifier, engaging in a dialog with the user via the first device to obtain a selection of one of the allowed public user identifiers as the public user identifier for the session;
• receiving an identification of the called party from the user via the first device;
• arranging for internet protocol multimedia subsystems services to be provided to the user on the first device;
• and wherein the 2-stage dialing server receives an INVITE signal using a call/session control function selected based on a uniform resource identifier of the 2-stage dialing server;
• and subsequently sending the INVITE signal from the 2-stage dialing server on behalf of the public user identifier to the called party, wherein the INVITE signal is sent from the 2-stage dialing server using a call/session control function selected based on the public user identifier and wherein a same call/session control function is used for all the allowed public user identifiers of the user until a last allowed public user identifier of the user has been de-registered from all contact addresses, and setting up a media connection from the first device to a second device associated with the called party.