Patent ID: 7953800

Claim:
In a web-based business information system having an internal e-mail facility, a method for facilitating and tracking e-mail communications between (i) an end user of the web-based business information system and (ii) an external contact that is not an end user of the web-based business information system, comprising: sending an initial e-mail message from said internal e-mail facility to the external contact, wherein a domain of a REPLY-TO field of said initial e-mail message corresponds to a domain of said internal e-mail facility, and wherein a local part of said REPLY-TO field of said initial e-mail message comprises a tracking string encoding tracking information associated with said end user and said external contact with respect to said web-based business information system, the tracking string having a plurality of distinct components including a first component uniquely identifying a thread of conversation between said end user and said external contact and a second component that orders messages in the thread of conversation independent of message date; receiving at said internal e-mail facility a first reply e-mail message from said external contact replying to said initial e-mail message, said first reply e-mail message having a TO field including said tracking string; and sending from said internal e-mail facility a modified version of said first reply e-mail message to a native e-mail address of the end user, said native e-mail address corresponding to a native e-mail system of the end user different than said internal e-mail facility and lying outside said web-based business information system, wherein a domain of a REPLY-TO field of said modified version of said first reply e-mail message corresponds to said domain of said internal e-mail facility, and wherein a local part of said REPLY-TO field comprises a first modified version of said tracking string.