Accessing user messages at a hosted communications provider

Abstract

A hosted communications provider or network supports communications to multiple users, each having associated accounts. The network includes memory storage device(s) for storing communications message(s) directed to one or more of the users. A web server module is configured to receive access requests for the user accounts; such requests originating from a user device. The network provides the requested access and sends the information using a non HTML format for at least a portion of the information. The user device displays the requested information on a display device. In some implementations, the information is sent to the user in a non-HTML format. In some implementations, at least a portion of the user interface is provided in a file format which does not include HTML.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method comprising:
 receiving a message intended for a user having an account with a hosted communications provider;   associating the message with the account and storing the message in a storage device;   receiving a request to access the account;   providing, for presentation in a user interface on a client device, information associated with the account and data identifying the message, wherein at least a portion of the information is provided in a format other than hyper-text markup language (HTML);   receiving, from the client device, a request to access the message; and   providing the message to the client device.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the storage device stores messages of a plurality of different message types that are associated with the account. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the provided information further comprises information identifying the messages of the plurality of different message types. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein providing the information comprises providing the information for presentation in a user interface that allows the user to access messages of the plurality of different message types. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the user interface allows for viewing of messages of the plurality of different message types. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein at least a portion of the user interface is in the format other than HTML. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the format other than HTML is a format compatible with the Adobe Flash Player. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising providing the user interface to the client device upon the client device successfully performing a login procedure to authenticate the user. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein providing the information comprises providing the information to the client device over a packet-switched network, a cellular network, or a Public-Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). 
     
     
         11 . A system comprising one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that when executed by the one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a message intended for a user having an account with a hosted communications provider;   associating the message with the account and storing the message in a storage device;   receiving a request to access the account;   providing, for presentation in a user interface on a client device, information associated with the account and data identifying the message, wherein at least a portion of the information is provided in a format other than hyper-text markup language (HTML);   receiving, from the client device, a request to access the message; and   providing the message to the client device.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the storage device stores messages of a plurality of different message types that are associated with the account. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the provided information further comprises information identifying the messages of the plurality of different message types. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein providing the information comprises providing the information for presentation in a user interface that allows the user to access messages of the plurality of different message types. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the user interface allows for viewing of messages of the plurality of different message types. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein at least a portion of the user interface is in the format other than HTML. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the format other than HTML is a format compatible with the Adobe Flash Player. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 14 , the operations further comprising providing the user interface to the client device upon the client device successfully performing a login procedure to authenticate the user. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein providing the information comprises providing the information to the client device over a packet-switched network, a cellular network, or a Public-Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). 
     
     
         20 . A computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the computer program comprising instructions that when executed by the one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a message intended for a user having an account with a hosted communications provider;   associating the message with the account and storing the message in a storage device;   receiving a request to access the account;   providing, for presentation in a user interface on a client device, information associated with the account and data identifying the message, wherein at least a portion of the information is provided in a format other than hyper-text markup language (HTML);   receiving, from the client device, a request to access the message; and   providing the message to the client device.   
     
     
         21 . The computer storage medium of  claim 20 , wherein the storage device stores messages of a plurality of different message types that are associated with the account.