Patent ID: 7023974

Claim:
A computer system comprising: an access module configured to access an e-mail, which e-mail includes a header and a body and is capable of supporting attachments to the e-mail that are distinct of the body of the e-mail; a detection processing module configured to determine whether a remote system associated with the destination of the e-mail is capable of decompressing less than all of the e-mail, wherein decompressing less than all includes decompressing a compressed body of the e-mail; a compression processing module configured to compress less than all of the e-mail, wherein compressing less than all includes compressing the body of the e-mail conditioned on whether the remote system is determined capable of decompressing the compressed body; a message generator module configured to generate a compressed e-mail message that includes a header and a body and is capable of supporting attachments distinct from the body, wherein the body comprises the compressed body of the accessed e-mail; and a communication processing module configured to communicate to the remote system the compressed e-mail message.