Mobile messaging hub enabling enterprise office telephone numbers

Abstract

A messaging hub provides communication services for user devices associated with an enterprise office telephone number. The messaging hub establishes a secure connection between the messaging hub local SMSC/MMSC and a data adapter of a unified communications service, provision the enterprise office telephone number for use in a global SMS/MMS network and delivers messages addressed to the enterprise office telephone number to selected user devices.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer-implemented method for enabling an enterprise office telephone number to be used for Short Message Service/Multimedia Messaging Service/Enhanced Messaging Service (SMS/MMS/EMS) message communication, the method comprising:
 establishing a secure connection between a messaging hub local short message service center/multimedia message service center (SMSC/MMSC) and a data adapter of a unified communications service; 
 identifying the enterprise office telephone number; 
 provisioning the enterprise office telephone number, the provisioning comprising:
 registering the enterprise office telephone number with a messaging hub having access to the local SMSC/MMSC; 
 gaining access to a mobile message network using the enterprise office telephone number; and 
 registering the enterprise office telephone number in a database accessible by an SMSC/MMSC with access to a global SMS/MMS network 
 
 assigning an identification data element to be used in conjunction with the enterprise office telephone number; 
 homing the assigned identification data element within the messaging hub for message traffic delivery; 
 receiving an SMS/MMS/EMS message corresponding to the assigned identification data element; 
 auditing the received SMS/MMS/EMS message; 
 wherein the received SMS/MMS/EMS message is audited for at least one of: 
 spam detection; 
 accounting purposes; 
 law enforcement requests; 
 compliance requests; 
 statistical analysis; and
 archival retention; 
 
 determining whether the received message is in violation of predetermined data content policies; and 
 in response to determining that the message is in violation: 
 signaling an alert of a message violation; and
 logging the message violation. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the identification data element is one of: 
 service profile identifier (SPID); 
 an electronic SPID (eSPID); 
 a virtual SPID (vSPID); 
 an alternate SPID (AltSPID); and 
 a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) uniform resource identifier (URI) (SIP URI). 
 
     
     
       3. The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 determining whether a session exists over the secure connection to the data adapter; 
 queuing the received SMS/MMS/EMS message for later delivery in response to determining that no session exists; and 
 redirecting the message to the session in response to determining that the session exists. 
 
     
     
       4. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 ,
 determining whether the received SMS/MMS/EMS message is spam; and 
 deleting the received SMS/MMS/EMS message in response to determining that the received SMS/MMS/EMS message is spam. 
 
     
     
       5. The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 associating a plurality of user devices with the enterprise office telephone number; and 
 determining which ones of the plurality of user devices receive the SMS/MMS/EMS received message. 
 
     
     
       6. The computer-implemented method of  claim 5 , further comprising
 determining a location of one of the user devices; 
 communicating the location of one of the plurality of user devices to the unified communications service; and 
 delivering a location specific message to the one of the plurality of user devices. 
 
     
     
       7. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 sending an SMS/MMS message by associating a direct inward dial (DID) number of the enterprise office telephone number with the message. 
 
     
     
       8. The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , further comprising auditing a message to be sent. 
     
     
       9. The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein auditing comprises:
 determining whether the message to be sent is in violation of predetermined data content policies and in response to determining that the message is in violation: 
 signal an alert of the message violation; 
 log the message violation; and 
 determine whether to send the violating message. 
 
     
     
       10. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying the enterprise office telephone number further comprises identifying a block of enterprise office telephone numbers. 
     
     
       11. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising providing a messaging application running on the messaging hub and within the unified communications service. 
     
     
       12. The computer-implemented method of  claim 11  further comprising providing a push service to transfer the received SMS/MMS/EMS message from the messaging hub to the unified communications service via the messaging application. 
     
     
       13. The computer-implemented method of  claim 11  further comprising providing a pull service to transfer the received SMS/MMS/EMS message from the messaging hub to the unified communications service via the messaging application. 
     
     
       14. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising provisioning into at least one of:
 a third party directory; 
 a carrier's directory; a government directory; and 
 a government master directory. 
 
     
     
       15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium for tangibly storing thereon computer readable instructions for a messaging application having an on premise component and a messaging hub component, the messaging hub component having for a method comprising:
 establishing a secure connection between a messaging hub local short message service center/multimedia message service center (SMSC/MMSC) and a data adapter of a unified communications service; 
 identifying an enterprise office telephone number; 
 provisioning the enterprise office telephone number, the provisioning comprising: 
 registering the enterprise office telephone number with a messaging hub having access to the local SMSC/MMSC; 
 gaining access to a mobile message network using a non-mobile enterprise office telephone number; and registering the enterprise office telephone number in a database accessible by an SMSC/MMSC with access to a global SMS/MMS network; 
 assigning an identification data element to be used in conjunction with the enterprise office telephone number; 
 homing the assigned identification data element within the messaging hub for message traffic delivery; 
 and further comprising: 
 auditing the sent and received messages; 
 wherein the messages are audited for at least one of: 
 spam detection; 
 accounting purposes; 
 law enforcement requests; 
 compliance requests; 
 statistical analysis; and 
 archival retention; 
 determining whether the message is in violation of predetermined data content policies; and 
 in response to determining that the message is in violation: 
 signaling an alert of a message violation; and 
 logging the message violation; 
 the on premise component comprising instructions for a method comprising: 
 transferring an enterprise office telephone number over the secure connection; and 
 sending and receiving SMS/MMS messages over the secure connection. 
 
     
     
       16. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising: determine whether to queue the violating message for delivery. 
     
     
       17. A computer-implemented method for enabling an enterprise office telephone number to be used for Short Message Service/Multimedia Messaging Service/Enhanced Messaging Service (SMS/MMS/EMS) message communication, the method comprising:
 establishing a secure connection between a messaging hub local short message service center multimedia message service center (SMSC/MMSC) and a data adapter of a unified communications service; 
 identifying the enterprise office telephone number; provisioning the enterprise office telephone number, the provisioning comprising:
 registering the enterprise office telephone number with a messaging hub having access to the local SMSC/MMSC; 
 gaining access to a mobile message network using the enterprise office telephone number; and 
 registering the enterprise office telephone number in a database accessible by an SMSC/MMSC with access to a global SMS/MMS network; 
 assigning an identification data element to be used in conjunction with the enterprise office telephone number; 
 
 homing the assigned identification data element within the messaging hub for message traffic delivery 
 queuing an SMS/MMS message by associating a direct inward dial (DID) number of the enterprise office telephone number with the message; 
 auditing a queued message to be sent; 
 wherein the queued message is audited for at least one of: 
 accounting purposes; 
 law enforcement requests; 
 compliance requests; 
 statistical analysis; and
 archival retention; 
 
 wherein auditing comprises: 
 determining whether the message to be sent is in violation of predetermined data content policies; and 
 in response to determining that the message is in violation: 
 signaling an alert of a message violation; and 
 logging the message violation.