Patent ID: 7870207

Claim:
A method of handling an e-mail message, said method comprising: managing, at a mail distribution server, a pull e-mail account for a first mail user agent, where said managing involves periodically polling a pull e-mail server to determine whether new e-mail messages have been received by said pull e-mail server, where said new e-mail messages specify an address associated with said pull e-mail account; receiving, at said mail distribution server, an e-mail message from a second mail user agent; determining, at said mail distribution server, said e-mail message specifies, as a recipient, said address associated with said pull e-mail account; responsive to determining said e-mail message specifies, as a recipient, said address associated with said pull e-mail account, triggering an interruption of said managing; responsive to said interruption, waiting a predetermined waiting period, wherein said predetermined waiting period is based on a measured network latency value; and responsive to expiration of said predetermined waiting period, polling said pull e-mail server.