Patent ID: 8285788

Claim:
A method for sharing a file, comprising: sending a user directory to a first client machine of a plurality of client machines after a first registered user logs into a collaborative communication system via the first client machine, the user directory including a plurality of registered users including a second registered user, wherein the collaborative communication system is configured to provide communications for a group including the first and second registered users, the communications comprising internal mail exchanging, file sharing and message exchanging, the communications limited to within the group, each of the plurality of registered users is associated with a respective identifier that is configured to limit the communications to within the collaborative communication system; accepting a selection of the second registered user; receiving from the first client machine a request to upload a file intended for the second registered user to a store remotely located with respect to the plurality of client machines, wherein the file has already been generated and stored in the first client machine; storing the file in the store; notifying the second registered user of an accessibility of the file using the respective identifier of the second registered user when the second registered user logs into the collaborative communication system via a second client machine, wherein the notifying includes sending a notification to the second client machine, the notification is generated by a computing device in the collaborative communication system and delivered to the second client machine using the respective identifier, the file is downloaded to the second client machine when the second registered user accesses the file in response to the notification; and storing a history of the communications.