Integrating a web-based business application with existing client-side electronic mail systems
First Claim
1. In a web-based business information system having an internal e-mail facility, a method for facilitating and tracking e-mail communications between (i) an end user of the web-based business information system and (ii) an external contact that is not an end user of the web-based business information system, comprising:
- sending an initial e-mail message from said internal e-mail facility to the external contact, wherein a domain of a REPLY-TO field of said initial e-mail message corresponds to a domain of said internal e-mail facility, and wherein a local part of said REPLY-TO field of said initial e-mail message comprises a tracking string encoding tracking information associated with said end user and said external contact with respect to said web-based business information system;
receiving a first reply e-mail message from said external contact replying to said initial e-mail message, said first reply e-mail message having a TO field including said tracking string; and
sending a modified version of said first reply e-mail message to a native e-mail address of the end user, said native e-mail address corresponding to a native e-mail system of the end user different than said internal e-mail facility and lying outside said web-based business information system, wherein a domain of a REPLY-TO field of said modified version of said first reply e-mail message corresponds to said domain of said internal e-mail facility, and wherein a local part of said REPLY-TO field comprises a first modified version of said tracking string.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method, system, computer program product, and related business methods are described in the context of a web-based business information system having an internal e-mail facility, wherein e-mail communications between a native e-mail system of an end user of the web-based business information system and an external contact are facilitated and automatically tracked by the web-based business information system, the native e-mail system lying outside the web-based business information system but often being preferred by the end user over the internal e-mail facility of the web-based business information system. The described preferred embodiments provide for easy-to-use, reasonably transparent, “no-click” integration of the web-based business information system with the end user'"'"'s native e-mail system in a manner that is independent of the particular type and choice of native e-mail system.
124 Citations
26 Claims
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1. In a web-based business information system having an internal e-mail facility, a method for facilitating and tracking e-mail communications between (i) an end user of the web-based business information system and (ii) an external contact that is not an end user of the web-based business information system, comprising:
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sending an initial e-mail message from said internal e-mail facility to the external contact, wherein a domain of a REPLY-TO field of said initial e-mail message corresponds to a domain of said internal e-mail facility, and wherein a local part of said REPLY-TO field of said initial e-mail message comprises a tracking string encoding tracking information associated with said end user and said external contact with respect to said web-based business information system;
receiving a first reply e-mail message from said external contact replying to said initial e-mail message, said first reply e-mail message having a TO field including said tracking string; and
sending a modified version of said first reply e-mail message to a native e-mail address of the end user, said native e-mail address corresponding to a native e-mail system of the end user different than said internal e-mail facility and lying outside said web-based business information system, wherein a domain of a REPLY-TO field of said modified version of said first reply e-mail message corresponds to said domain of said internal e-mail facility, and wherein a local part of said REPLY-TO field comprises a first modified version of said tracking string. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. In a web-based business information system having an internal e-mail facility, a method for facilitating and tracking e-mail communications between (i) an end user of the web-based business information system and (ii) an external contact that is not an end user of the web-based business information system, comprising:
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sending an initial e-mail message from said internal e-mail facility to the external contact, wherein a domain of a reply-designating header field of said initial e-mail message corresponds to a domain of said internal e-mail facility, and wherein a local part of said reply-designating header field of said initial e-mail message comprises a tracking string encoding tracking information associated with said end user and said external contact with respect to said web-based business information system;
receiving a first reply e-mail message from said external contact replying to said initial e-mail message, said first reply e-mail message having a TO field including said tracking string; and
sending a modified version of said first reply e-mail message to a native e-mail address of the end user, said native e-mail address corresponding to a native e-mail system of the end user different than said internal e-mail facility and lying outside said web-based business information system, wherein a domain of a reply-designating header field of said modified version of said first reply e-mail message corresponds to said domain of said internal e-mail facility, and wherein a local part of said reply-designating header field comprises a first modified version of said tracking string. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. In a web-based business information system having an internal e-mail facility, a method for facilitating and tracking e-mail communications between (i) an end user of the web-based business information system and (ii) an external contact that is not an end user of the web-based business information system, comprising:
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sending an initial e-mail message from said internal e-mail facility to the external contact, wherein a domain of a reply-designating header field of said initial e-mail message corresponds to a domain of said internal e-mail facility, and wherein a first thread-recurrent field of said initial e-mail message comprises a tracking string encoding tracking information associated with said end user and said external contact with respect to said web-based business information system;
receiving a first reply e-mail message from said external contact replying to said initial e-mail message, said first reply e-mail message having a TO field including said domain of said internal e-mail facility, said first reply e-mail message comprising said tracking string in said first thread-recurrent field thereof; and
sending a modified version of said first reply e-mail message to a native e-mail address of the end user, said native e-mail address corresponding to a native e-mail system of the end user different than said internal e-mail facility and lying outside said web-based business information system, wherein a domain of a reply-designating header field of said modified version of said first reply e-mail message corresponds to said domain of said internal e-mail facility, and wherein a second thread-recurrent field of said modified version of said first reply e-mail message comprises a first modified version of said tracking string. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification