Patent ID: 7116766

Claim:
A method for distributing electronic mail messages received at an electronic mail service comprising: a) receiving at an electronic mail distributor at the electronic mail service an incoming electronic mail message addressed for delivery to a message receiver of the electronic mail service; b) determining the message receiver for the electronic mail message; c) retrieving from a message receiver profile database rules defined by the message receiver for processing the electronic mail message; d) examining the rules defined by the message receiver to determine if the message receiver has specified a preference to receive the electronic mail message at a telecommunications service; and e) if the message receiver has specified a preference to receive the electronic mail message at a telecommunications service: i. determining the message receiver's preferred telecommunications service; ii. modifying the electronic mail message to include routing information for the message receiver's preferred telecommunications service; and iii. forwarding the electronic mail message to the message receiver's preferred telecommunications service; iv. determining at the telecommunications service the message receiver's electronic mailbox address; and v. storing the electronic mail message in the message receiver's electronic mailbox at the telecommunications service.