In accordance with various embodiments, systems and methods that improve communication with a media server are provided. Such a system can include a plurality of applications, executing on one or more application servers. The system can also include a media server which is operable to play announcements requested by the plurality of applications to one or more parties in a call; and a SCIM. The SCIM is operable to buffer requests from the plurality of applications to play the announcements. When an application in a chain of applications requests that an announcement be played to a party, the SCIM can buffer the request, communicate with each remaining application in the chain of applications and buffer any requests to play an additional announcement to the party, open a connection to the media server, and instruct the media server to play each announcement associated with each buffered request.