Patent ID: 8103728

Claim:
A data processing system for synchronizing a database on a network, the system comprising: a plurality of computer systems each having one or more processors in communication with the network and a local database, the computer systems being capable of transmitting a transaction e-mail, the transaction e-mail comprising an indication of a modification by the user to a local database of the user's computer system; a central database in communication with the network and having a firewall that prevents access to the central database by users of the plurality of computer systems; and an e-mail listener in communication with the network, the e-mail listener being capable of receiving a transaction e-mail transmitted from one of the plurality of computer systems via the network, wherein the e-mail listener analyzes received transaction e-mail by determining if the transaction e-mail contains a pre-defined string of characters associated with the central database and, in response to determining that the pre-defined string of characters is present, determining whether the transaction e-mail adds information to the central database; and wherein the e-mail listener modifies the central database based on the analysis of the transaction e-mail to synchronize the central database with the local database, wherein: the user's computer system, prior to the transmitting, modifying of a record in the local database and creating the transaction email; the e-mail listener determining, in response to receiving the transaction e-mail, whether the transaction e-mail is written in a second language different from a first language of entries in the central database, and translating the transaction e-mail to the first language if the transaction e-mail is written in the second language; the e-mail listener updating a transaction log based on the analysis of the transaction e-mail and transmitting the transaction log to the user's computer system through a server computer system firewall; and the user's computer system receiving the transaction log and modifying the local database based on the receiving of the transaction log.