Video phone multimedia announcement answering machine

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In order to provide an improved network, it is desirable for the interexchange companies to have access to at least one of the twisted-pair lines or alternate wireless facility connecting each of the individual users to the local telephone network before the lines are routed through the conventional local telephone network equipment.
It is preferable to have access to these lines prior to the splitter and modem technology offered by the local service providers.
By having access to the twisted-pair wires entering the customer's premises, interexchange companies can differentiate their services by providing higher bandwidth, improving the capabilities of the customer premises equipment, and lowering overall system costs to the customer by providing competitive service alternatives.
The new architecture may utilize a video phone and/or other devices to provide new services to an end user; an intelligent services director (ISD) disposed at or near the customer's premises for multiplexing and coordinating many digital services onto a single twisted-pair line; a facilities management platform (FMP) disposed in the local telephone network's central office for routing data to an appropriate interexchange company network; and a network server platform (NSP) coupled to the FMP for providing new and innovative services to the customer and for distinguishing services provided by the interexchange companies from those services provided by the local telephone network.
As part of this system, one aspect of the invention provides a mutlimedia announcement answering machine.
The users may record video greetings for their answering machine.
The video greetings may include animations and other suitable audio/video clips.
Still images may also be presented.