Patent ID: 6883014

Claim:
An electronic message distributing apparatus for distributing electronic messages from a database to one or more agents, the database storing, in respect of each electronic message to be distributed, a set of one or more message classes into which the respective electronic message is deemed to belong, the distributing apparatus comprising: means for determining, from said database, at least one message class in which an electronic message is deemed to belong; means for selecting, from a directory of one or more agents, an agent that has a capability to process electronic messages that belong to said at least one message class by providing a response in respect of said at least one message class; means for causing said electronic message to be rendered to said selected agent for processing thereby; and means for receiving from said selected agent a signal indicating that said electronic message is processed and that a response to said message is provided in respect of said at least one message class; wherein, upon receipt of said signal, the distributing apparatus is arranged to determine, from said database, if said set includes one or more message classes in respect of which said electronic message is not processed and, in response to determining that said electronic message has not been processed in respect of one or more message classes in said set, is arranged to select a further agent to which to cause said electronic message to be rendered, which further agent has a capability to process messages which belong to one or more of said unprocessed message classes.