UNIVERSAL DIRECTORY SERVICE

A universal directory service (UDS) provides the communication addresses of individuals associated with numerous different institutions, and can be accessed via more than one communication channel. A UDS server communicates with one or more data sources to provide directory information to a user. The UDS also provides supplemental information such as company name, logo, and specialty. The UDS can be accessed via numerous communication channels including the internet, on-line service providers, wireless devices, modem, dedicated access channels, voice access via an attendant, and voice access via a speech recognition and synthesis system.