Patent ID: 8521907

Claim:
A communications system comprising: at least one destination server configured to host a plurality of electronic mail (email) message boxes; a plurality of communications devices configured to generate email messages, each associated with a respective email message box; and a delivery server comprising a controller and a memory coupled thereto and configured to store email messages generated by the communications devices in a first queue, attempt to send the stored email messages to the at least one destination server at a first sending attempt rate, move email messages stored in the first queue to a second queue based upon a delivery failure, the second queue being one of a series of queues having respective different storage intervals, attempt to send email messages stored in the second queue to the at least one destination server at a second sending attempt rate less than the first sending attempt rate, move email messages from one queue to a next queue after being stored for the respective storage interval, and wherein the different storage intervals are independent of the first and second sending attempt rates.