Patent ID: 7386599

Claim:
A method comprising: generating, automatically with an electronic device without user intervention, a private local network search request in response to an original search request, the private local network search request to cause a search to be performed on electronic documents stored by a device that is part of a private locate network, the private local network search request making the documents searchable by electronic devices belonging to an organization corresponding to the electronic device and not searchable by remote electronic devices not corresponding to the organization, and wherein one or more of the documents are archived on the device of the private local network in the absence of an explicit command by a user to save the electronic documents, but archived and indexed in response to another user specified function associated with the electronic documents to transmit the electronic documents over the private local network or process the electronic documents by one or more devices connected to the private local network, the search of the electronic documents on the private local network to be performed according to search parameters of the original search request and without making available the electronic documents to search requests of remote electronic devices outside the private local network; generating, automatically with the electronic device without having to wait for a search result of the private local network search request from the private local network and in addition to the private local network search request, an external network search request in response to the original search request, the external network search request to cause a search to be performed on electronic documents available from devices that are part of an external public network via a network portal of an external network according to the search parameters of the original search request; and generating a single search report at the electronic device based on the search results of the private local network search request and the public external network search request.