Patent ID: 8676901

Claim:
A method, comprising: at a server system having one or more processors that execute programs stored in memory of the server system: storing on the server an attachment associated with a communication; sending to a client device the communication with a representation of the attachment that includes an indication of a native file type of the attachment, wherein the attachment is not sent with the communication; receiving a request from the client device to view the attachment in the client device; in response to the request from the client to view the attachment in the client device: retrieving the attachment; determining a viewable file type for the client device; transcoding the attachment from the attachment's native file type to the viewable file type configured to display in the client device; truncating the attachment in the viewable file type according to predetermined criteria, wherein the predetermined criteria include one or more of latency in transmission of data and cost of transmission of data; and transmitting the truncated attachment in the viewable file type to the client device.