Systems and methods for providing recording as a network service are provided. A representative method incorporates: communicating instructions to a network, the instructions indicating that IP packets associated with a communication that is to be recorded are to be directed to long term storage such that the network: receives the instructions; determines whether Internet Protocol (IP) packets, which are being communicated by the network, are associated with a communication that is to be recorded; and directs information corresponding to the IP packets associated with the communication to a long term storage device.