Patent ID: 8352553
Filing Date: 2013-01-08
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for connecting an electronic mail (e-mail) server computer and a customer relationship management (CRM) server computer, the method comprising performing computer-implemented operations for: determining whether one or more e-mail messages pending send are present at the CRM server computer; in response to determining that one or more e-mail messages pending send are present at the CRM server computer, retrieving, via a first e-mail connector operating on a first computer, a first set of the e-mail messages pending send from the CRM server computer and retrieving, via a second e-mail connector operating on a second computer, a second set of the e-mail messages pending send from the CRM server computer, wherein the first e-mail connector comprises a first plurality of pluggable e-mail providers, each of the first plurality of pluggable e-mail providers providing functionality for interfacing with a corresponding e-mail server computer, the first plurality of pluggable e-mail providers comprising a first pluggable e-mail provider providing functionality for interfacing with the e-mail server computer, wherein the second e-mail connector comprises a second plurality of pluggable e-mail providers, each of the second plurality of pluggable e-mail providers providing functionality for interfacing with the corresponding e-mail server computer, the second plurality of pluggable e-mail providers comprising a second pluggable e-mail provider providing functionality for interfacing with the e-mail server computer; establishing first communication between the e-mail server computer and the CRM server computer via the first e-mail connector using first credentials stored on the first computer; in response to establishing the first communication, sending the first set of the e-mail messages from the first computer to the e-mail server computer via the first pluggable e-mail provider; establishing second communication between the e-mail server computer and the CRM server computer via the second e-mail connector using second credentials stored on the second computer; in response to establishing the second communication, sending the second set of the e-mail messages from the second computer to the e-mail server computer via the second pluggable e-mail provider, the e-mail server computer configured to make available the first set of the e-mail messages and the second set of the e-mail messages to an external e-mail client application; determining whether a new e-mail message is present at the e-mail server computer; in response to determining that the new e-mail message is present at the e-mail server computer, determining whether the new e-mail message is CRM related by transmitting a portion of the new e-mail message from the e-mail server computer to the CRM server computer and receiving, at the e-mail server computer, a response indicating whether the new e-mail message is CRM related based on the portion of the new e-mail message; in response to determining that the new e-mail message is CRM related based on the response received from the CRM server computer, submitting the new e-mail message to the CRM server computer for inclusion in a CRM database maintained by the CRM server computer; and in response to determining that the new e-mail message is not CRM related based on the response received from the CRM server computer, not submitting the new e-mail message to the CRM server computer for inclusion in the CRM database maintained by the CRM server computer.