Patent ID: 7194249

Claim:
In a relationship between an information provider and a plurality of subscribers, each of the subscribers being associated with an alert gateway and a corresponding distribution address, a system for providing an alert to a subscriber, the system comprising: an alert receiver configured to receive an alert message from at least one alert source, the alert message being pertinent to at least one of the subscribers and comprising an alert and associated alert information, the alert information providing information about the alert, such that the alert information can be analyzed to determine whether a particular subscriber should receive the alert; an alert distribution device in communication with the alert receiver and further in communication with a communication network, wherein the alert distribution device is configured to: store a directory of alert gateways, each alert gateway being associated with a distribution address; determine, based on the alert information, a set of one or more distribution addresses to which the alert applies; and transmit the alert to the determined set of distribution addresses via the communication network; and an alert gateway at a subscriber location in communication with the communication network, wherein the alert gateway is: associated with a member of the determined set of distribution addresses; adapted to receive the alert from the alert distribution device; and configured to take at least one specific action with respect to the alert.