A telecommunications system, for use with a packet-switched network and with a portable-communication-device docking station for receiving a portable communication device, includes a network interface configured to couple to the packet-switched network, a docking-station interface configured to couple to the portable-communication-device docking station, a real-time user interface including a microphone configured to receive sound signals and a speaker configured to provide sound signals corresponding to signals received via the packet-switched network, and a communication controller coupled to the real-time user interface, the docking-station interface, and the network interface, and configured to transfer streaming data between the network interface and the real-time user interface, to transfer non-streaming electronic messages from the network interface to the docking-station interface, and to send a download request to a remotely-located control unit via the packet-switched network in response to a download indication being received from the docking station interface, the download request being indicative of a request for an email download.