Virgin Mobile USA, L.p.

John Karsner

John Bednarz

John Bamforth

Michael Parks

James Gamm

Jason Alexander

Dan Cipoletti

Subscribers of a telephone service can define a calling circle, which includes a group of other telephone subscribers with whom the subscriber receives preferential billing rates. The members of the calling circle may include customers of a telephone service provider other than the subscriber's telephone service provider.

Unrestricted calling circle for telephone service

A communications management network for managing subscribers' communication sessions. The management network includes multiple sets of session management modules or servers (e.g., Intelligent Service Control Points), a services hub and a data warehouse. The network may also include a gateway for routing text messages. Each set of session management modules includes a plurality of modules, and each subscriber is assigned to one set of modules with one of the modules as a primary and another as a secondary or backup. Subscribers are grouped according to geographical area (e.g., by zip code, by area code), service area or other criteria, and all subscribers within a group are assigned to the same primary and secondary modules. Management of subscribers' communication sessions is load balanced by reassigning groups of subscribers to different sets of session management modules. Each module tracks account statuses (e.g., prepaid services balances) for its assigned subscribers.

Load balancing management of communications sessions in a communications management network

Provisioning communication services in a communications management network

Managing communication sessions in a communications management network

Scaleable communications management network

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Benicia, CA, United States of America

John Karsner