Extensible communication controls

The present invention is directed to providing extensible and adaptable software communications controls for handling communication between devices. An extensible communications control is used to communicate between a computing device (200) and a remote communications device (150). In a computing program that has been adapted to use the extensible communications control, information about a contact person is retrieved. From the retrieved contact information, it is determined what types of activities may be used to communicate with the contact person at the remote communications device. Once a communication activity has been determined from the contact person's information, a communication request is sent to a communication address associated with that communication activity. Upon acceptance the extensible communications control commences communication with the remote communications device (150).