Cost management for messages

• US 8,996,623 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2009
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stern, Edith H., O'Sullivan, Patrick J., Harpur, Liam, Willner, Barry E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Avellino, Joseph E
• Assistant Examiner(s): CONAWAY, JAMES E
• Application Number:
  US12/577,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20110087741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,995 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

Messages are managed for cost. A processing device includes receiving a message designating a recipient and determining a cost associated with the message.

Claims

1. A method for cost management for messages operable on a processing device comprising:

receiving, by a processing device, a message designating a recipient;

determining, by the processing device, a cost associated with the message;

associating the cost with the message by the processing device in response to the message meeting a predetermined criteria, wherein associating the cost with the message comprises associating a cost of creating the message and a resource cost with the message, the cost of creating the message being based on a profile and expertise of a sender, wherein the predetermined criteria comprises a number of recipients exceeding a defined threshold and at least one of the recipients being associated with a different section of a same company as the sender;

sending the message and the associated cost by the processing device to the recipient in response to the message meeting the predetermined criteria and the cost being associated with the message; and

sending the message by the processing device to the recipient in response to the message not meeting the predetermined criteria for associating the cost with the message.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining a cost associated with the message further comprises evaluating, by the processing device, at least one of the message and an attribute of the recipient based on a message cost policy.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing, by the processing device, an indication of the cost to the recipient.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cost comprises at least one of a financial cost, and a time cost.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising assigning, by the processing device, a relative weight to at least one of the message and receipt of the message by the recipient, the relative weight being a multiplier for the cost.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cost comprises at least one of a monetary amount and a point value.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a decision from the recipient related to the message responsive to the cost.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the decision comprises one of disabling replies to the message, and disabling forwarding of the message.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising making a decision related to the message responsive to the cost exceeding a defined threshold.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising generating, by the processing device, a warning notification when the cost exceeds a defined threshold.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising assigning, by the processing device, the cost associated with the message based on a total number of recipients, a size of the message, a size of an attachment associated with the message, an importance of the message, resources required, time spent by the sender of the message, and time spent by the recipient of the message.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising assigning, by the processing device, a cost constraint associated with the message by one of the sender of the message and another person who is not the sender of the message.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising enabling cost tracking of the message, by the processing device, before sending the message, enabling cost tracking being responsive to at least one of the number of recipients exceeding the defined threshold, the recipient being associated with different departments, the recipient being associated with different groups, the recipient being associated with different companies, and the recipient being associated with different sections of the same company.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cost comprises a time cost, the time cost being determined from at least one of a direct measurement of time spent generating and sending the message, a direct measurement of time spent viewing the message, estimating a time spent on at least one of generating, sending and viewing the message based on a complexity of the language of the message, a size of the message, a subject of the message, at least one sender or receiver profile, and an expertise of at least one of the sender of the message and the recipient.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising generating, by the processing device, historical cost information for at least one of the sender of the message and the recipient.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cost comprises a time cost, the time cost being determined from at least one of a direct measurement of time spent generating and sending the message and estimating a time spent on generating and sending the message based on at least one of a complexity of the language of the message, a size of the message, a subject of the message, at least one of the sender or receiver profile, and an expertise of at least one of a sender of the message and the recipient, and a measurement of use of resources.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a message budget for at least one of an individual and a group of individuals for a preset time period, the message budget corresponds to the cost of messages exchanged between persons; and

comparing the cost for a plurality of messages to the message budget for at least one of the individual and the group of individuals.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising resolving conflicts between overlapping message budgets for the individual and the group including the individual.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising resetting the message budget after expiration of each preset time period.

16. A computing device for cost management for messages comprising:

a network interface in the computing device, the network interface being configured to receive a message designating a recipient; and

a processor in the computing device, the processor configured to determine a cost associated with the message and to associate the cost with the message in response to the message meeting a predetermined criteria, wherein the message and the associated cost are sent to the recipient by the processing device in response to the message meeting the predetermined cost and the cost being associated with the message and the message being sent to the recipient in response to the message not meeting the predetermined criteria for associating the cost with the message, wherein the predetermined criteria comprises a number of recipients exceeding a defined threshold and at least one of the recipients being associated with a different section of a same company as the sender and wherein the cost associated with the message comprises a cost of creating the message to a first recipient and a resource cost, the cost of creating the message being based on a profile and expertise of a creator of the message.

17. The computing device according to claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to evaluate at least one of the message and the recipient based on a message cost policy and to provide the indication of the evaluation to at least one of the user and the recipient.

18. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium, that is not a signal propagating medium, said computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code configured to receive a message designating a recipient

computer readable program code configured to determine a cost associated with the message, wherein determining a cost associated with the message comprises determining a cost of creating the message to a first recipient and a resource cost, the cost of creating the message being based on a profile and expertise of a creator of the message;

computer readable program code configured to associate the cost with the message by the processing device in response to the message meeting a predetermined criteria, wherein the predetermined criteria comprises a number of recipients exceeding a defined threshold and at least one of the recipients being associated with a different section of a same company as the sender;

computer readable program code configured to send the message and the associated cost to the recipient in response to the message meeting the predetermined criteria and the cost being associated with the message; and

computer readable program code configured to send the message to the recipient in response to the message not meeting the predetermined criteria for associating the cost with the message.

19. The computer program product according to claim 18, further comprising computer readable program code configured to evaluate at least one of the message and the recipient based on a message cost policy and computer readable program code configured to provide the indication of the evaluation to at least one of the user and the recipient.