Patent ID: 8364769

Claim:
A communications system comprising: a plurality of source message servers, each comprising a processor, and configured to store electronic mail (e-mail) messages in source message boxes; a target message server, comprising a processor, and having a target message box associated therewith; and an aggregation server, comprising a processor, and configured to store information regarding the source message boxes and the target message box, aggregate the e-mail messages from the source message servers to the target message server, change an envelope sender of the e-mail messages to a unique e-mail address of the aggregation server that is different from an address associated with the target message box and the envelope sender, increase a period of sending e-mail messages to the target message box and update the stored information based upon receipt of an e-mail delivery failure message at the unique e-mail address from the target message box, decrease the period of sending e-mail messages to the target message box and update the stored information based upon at least one successful e-mail delivery, and selectively re-send e-mail messages at a period based upon the stored information.