EMAIL COST ANALYTICS

• US 20160323220A1
• Filed: 04/29/2015
• Published: 11/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Emejulu, Nnaemeka I., Lavery, Andrew J., Maldari, Mario A., Ramamoorthy, Karthikeyan
• Granted Patent: US 10,749,825 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding

Abstract

Content of an email message may be analyzed, using natural language processing (NLP), to determine a subject matter of the email message. A cost estimate may be generated for sending the email message based on at least the subject matter of the email message. The cost estimate may be compared to a cost threshold. The cost estimate may be determined to exceed the cost threshold, based on the comparing.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

analyzing, using natural language processing (NLP), content of an email message to determine a subject matter of the email message;

generating a cost estimate for sending the email message based on at least the subject matter of the email message;

comparing the cost estimate to a cost threshold; and

determining, based on the comparing, that the cost estimate exceeds the cost threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, in response to the determining that the cost estimate exceeds the cost threshold, at least a first cost mitigation option and a second cost mitigation option, the first and second cost mitigation options for use in mitigating the cost of sending the email message;

determining a first cost savings quantity of the first cost mitigation option and a second cost savings quantity of the second cost mitigation option;

comparing the first savings quantity with the second savings quantity;

selecting the first cost mitigation option, based on the comparing, to mitigate the cost of sending the email message; and

notifying one or more user computing devices that the first cost mitigation option has been selected to mitigate the cost of sending the email message.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying, in response to the determining that the cost estimate exceeds the cost threshold, one or more cost mitigation options based on the subject matter of the email message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating the cost estimate is further based on determining, based on the subject matter, that the email message is likely to be stored above a threshold time period for at least one recipient of the email message.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, in response to the determining that the cost estimate exceeds the cost threshold, a plurality of cost mitigation options for display; and

in response to the providing, receiving a user request to perform at least one of the plurality of cost mitigation options.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the cost estimate is further based on an occupational role of a sending user and an occupational role of each recipient of the email message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing is in response to a user performing an action indicating an intent to send the email message, the method further comprising:

generating the cost estimate for sending the email message further based on an occupational role of a sending user and an occupational role of each recipient of the email message, and further based on determining, based on the subject matter, that the email message is likely to be stored above a threshold time period for at least one recipient of the email message;

identifying, in response to the determining that the cost estimate exceeds the cost threshold, a plurality of cost mitigation options based on the subject matter of the email message;

determining a cost savings quantity for each of the cost mitigation options;

providing the plurality of cost mitigation options for display and providing the cost savings quantity for each of the cost mitigation options for display; and

in response to the providing of the plurality of cost mitigation options, receiving a user request to perform at least one of the plurality of cost mitigation options.

8. A system comprising:

a computing device having a processor and a memory;

wherein the memory stores program instructions, the program instructions executable by the processor cause the system to;

analyze, using natural language processing (NLP), content of an email message to determine a subject matter of the email message;

generate a cost estimate for sending the email message based on at least the subject matter of the email message;

compare the cost estimate to a cost threshold; and

determine, based on the comparing, that the cost estimate exceeds the cost threshold.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the email message includes a named recipient, the program instructions executable by the processor further cause the system to determine a quantity of data that is stored to an email inbox of the named recipient, and wherein the cost estimate is further based on the determined quantity.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the program instructions executable by the processor further cause the system to determine dynamic resource costs, the dynamic resource costs being based on at least monitoring:

changing storage monetary costs, changing network monetary costs, and changing occupational roles, and wherein the cost estimate is further based on the dynamic resource costs.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the program instructions executable by the processor further cause the system to identify, in response to the determining that the cost estimate exceeds the cost threshold, at least one cost mitigation option, wherein the cost mitigation option includes compressing the email message to reduce a size of the email message.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the program instructions executable by the processor further cause the system to:

identify, in response to the determining that the cost estimate exceeds the cost threshold, at least a first cost mitigation option and a second cost mitigation option, the first and second cost mitigation options for use in mitigating the cost of sending the email message;

determine a first cost savings quantity of the first cost mitigation option and a second cost savings quantity of the second cost mitigation option;

compare the first savings quantity with the second savings quantity;

select the first cost mitigation option, based on the comparing, to mitigate the cost of sending the email message; and

notify one or more user computing devices that the first cost mitigation option has been selected to mitigate the cost of sending the email message.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the program instructions executable by the processor further cause the system to identify, in response to the determining that the cost estimate exceeds the cost threshold, one or more cost mitigation options based on the subject matter of the email message.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the analyzing is in response to a user performing an action indicating an intent to send the email message, wherein the program instructions executable by the processor further cause the system to:

generate the cost estimate for sending the email message further based on an occupational role of a sending user and an occupational role of each recipient of the email message, and further based on determining, based on the subject matter, that the email message is likely to be stored above a threshold time period for at least one recipient of the email message;

identify, in response to the determining that the cost estimate exceeds the cost threshold, a plurality of cost mitigation options based on the subject matter of the email message;

determine a cost savings quantity for each of the cost mitigation options;

provide the plurality of cost mitigation options for display and provide the cost savings quantity for each of the cost mitigation options for display; and

receive, in response to the providing of the cost mitigation options, a user request to perform at least one of the plurality of cost mitigation options.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code comprising computer readable program code configured for:

analyzing, using natural language processing (NLP), content of an email message to determine a subject matter of the email message;

generating a cost estimate for sending the email message based on at least the subject matter of the email message;

comparing the cost estimate to a cost threshold; and

determining, based on the comparing, that the cost estimate exceeds the cost threshold.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer readable program code is further configured for identifying, in response to the determining that the cost estimate exceeds the cost threshold, at least one cost mitigation option, and wherein the cost mitigation option includes storing the email message to a computing device file server, the computing device file server providing central storage for at least two recipients of the email message.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer readable program code is further configured for identifying, in response to the determining that the cost estimate exceeds the cost threshold, at least one cost mitigation option, wherein the cost mitigation option includes storing the email message to a first data store that is less monetarily expensive.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer readable program code is further configured for identifying, in response to the determining that the cost estimate exceeds the cost threshold, at least one cost mitigation option, wherein the cost mitigation option includes queuing the email message.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the generating the cost estimate is further based on determining, based on the subject matter, that the email message is likely to be stored above a threshold time period for at least one recipient of the email message.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer readable program code configured for the analyzing is in response to a user performing an action indicating an intent to send the email message, the computer readable program code further configured for:

generating the cost estimate for sending the email message further based on an occupational role of a sending user and an occupational role of each recipient of the email message, and further based on determining, based on the subject matter, that the email message is likely to be stored above a threshold time period for at least one recipient of the email message;

identifying, in response to the determining that the cost estimate exceeds the cost threshold, a plurality of cost mitigation options based on the subject matter of the email message;

determining a cost savings quantity for each of the cost mitigation options;

providing the plurality of cost mitigation options for display and providing the cost savings quantity for each of the cost mitigation options for display; and

in response to the providing of the plurality of cost mitigation options, receiving a user request to perform at least one of the plurality of cost mitigation options.