33. A method of providing service to first party via a telephony connection, the method comprising the steps of: providing indication that a second party using an instant communications client desires to communicate with the first party using a messaging response system; providing communications among the first party and the second party, wherein the first party engages in communication using audio information via the telephony connection; receiving information from the first party relating to how charges associated with the use of the service are to be billed, wherein an account of the first party is identified by both a screen name of the first party and a service provider identifier associated with a service provider of the first party, and wherein the service provider is one of a plurality of service providers that can be used to access the messaging response system; and providing to the first party audio information corresponding to textual information from the second party, wherein an aspect of providing the audio information corresponding to the textual information is affected by preference information pertaining to at least one of the first party, the second party and the instant communications client and the aspect relates to a voice characteristic imparted to synthesized speech in the audio information.
33. A method of providing service to first party via a telephony connection, the method comprising the steps of: providing indication that a second party using an instant communications client desires to communicate with the first party using a messaging response system; providing communications among the first party and the second party, wherein the first party engages in communication using audio information via the telephony connection; receiving information from the first party relating to how charges associated with the use of the service are to be billed, wherein an account of the first party is identified by both a screen name of the first party and a service provider identifier associated with a service provider of the first party, and wherein the service provider is one of a plurality of service providers that can be used to access the messaging response system; and providing to the first party audio information corresponding to textual information from the second party, wherein an aspect of providing the audio information corresponding to the textual information is affected by preference information pertaining to at least one of the first party, the second party and the instant communications client and the aspect relates to a voice characteristic imparted to synthesized speech in the audio information. 34. The method of claim 33 further comprising: providing to the first party an identifier which identifies the second party to the first party.