Method and system for providing one-to-one email collaboration

• US 20060095476A1
• Filed: 01/03/2005
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Dauer, Martin, Back, Tim
• Granted Patent: US 8,190,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A management application to synchronize e-mails sent or received from one application with e-mail logs of another application. If the groupware application receives an e-mail from a business partner, the e-mail may be stored in communication records maintained by the CRM application. Similarly, if an operator composed and sends an e-mail via the CRM application, the e-mail may be copied to the e-mail records of the groupware application. In managing this synchronization, it is sufficient for the management application to copy an e-mail from one application to the other. No further oversight is required.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing inbound e-mails between a first application with first e-mail logs and a second application with second e-mail logs:

selecting e-mails in the first application;

exporting e-mail data of the selected e-mails to an XML string via JavaScript and API;

embedding XML data contained in the XML string in an HTTP request;

submitting the HTTP request to a Web server to direct the XML data to the second application;

parsing the XML data when the HTTP request is received by the second application;

creating a copy of the e-mail data; and

storing the copy of the e-mail data in a database of the second application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first application is a groupware.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second application is a Customer Relationship Management (“

CRM”

) application.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising linking the e-mails to one or more of business processes managed by the CRM application.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising generating activities based on the e-mail data and storing the activities in an activity database of the CRM application.

6. A method for synchronizing outbound e-mails between a first application with first e-mail logs and a second application with second e-mail logs:

creating an e-mail in the first application;

sending the e-mail from the first application to a recipient;

storing the sent e-mail in a database of the first application;

exporting e-mail data of the sent e-mail to an XML string;

parsing XML data contained in the XML string;

accessing the second application via API; and

creating a copy of e-mail data in a sent item box of the second application.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first application is a Customer Relationship Management (“

CRM”

) application.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising creating an activity based on the e-mail data.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein creating the e-mail further comprising:

starting a business object application;

displaying an e-mail send screen;

adding address data of the recipient by searching through a contact list; and

adding e-mail body to the e-mail.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the contact list is a business partners list of the CRM application.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the contact list is a local contact list of the second application.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising linking the e-mail and the activity.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising linking the e-mail and the recipient.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein the second application is a groupware.

15. A computer readable medium having stored there on program instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:

select e-mails in the first application;

export e-mail data of the selected e-mails to an XML string via JavaScript and API;

embed XML data contained in the XML string in an HTTP request;

submit the HTTP request to a Web server to direct the XML data to the second application;

parse the XML data when the HTTP request is received by the second application;

create a copy of e-mail data; and

store the copy of e-mail data in a database of the second application.

16. The medium of claim 15, wherein the first application is a groupware.

17. The medium of claim 15, wherein the second application is a Customer Relationship Management (“

CRM”

) application.

18. The medium of claim 17, further comprising linking the e-mails to one or more of business processes managed by the CRM application.

19. The medium of claim 17, further comprising generating activities based on the e-mail data and storing the activities in an activity database of the CRM application.