A subscriber to a remote call forwarding feature on a wire-line telephone
line associated with a PBX (101) or central office (402), hereinafter, a
"user", can enable that feature by entering a feature code from an IP
terminal (112, 412). The user enters a feature code from his/her IP
terminal (112, 412), which feature code is received by a remote server
(for example, server 110) having access to an IP user directory (113,
413), hereinafter, for example, an active user registry (AUR) database,
and forwards necessary information for invoking the feature in a
determined manner to a Service Control Point (SCP) (106, 406). The SCP
recognizes the feature code as a request to invoke the remote call
forwarding feature on the user's wire-line telephone so that calls
directed to that wire-line telephone are forwarded to, for example, the
user's cellular phone. Receipt of that feature code by the SCP,
identifies the cellular phone's Electronic Serial Number (ESN) from a
provided cellular phone number or Mobile Identification Number (MIN) and
identifies the user and the feature to be invoked for that user. By
performing an SCP database (108, 408) lookup associated with that ESN and
MIN, information is retrieved relating to what PBX (101) or switch (402)
should be contacted to invoke the feature, how and where to contact that
PBX or switch, and what specifically must be sent to that PBX or switch
to invoke the feature on the user's telephone line.