Patent ID: 8565836

Claim:
A computer program product comprising one or more physical computer readable storage devices storing computer executable instructions which, when executed by a processor in a server or other network component facilitating communication between an originating device and a recipient device, a method for alerting a recipient about the receipt and/or availability of a communication by the recipient device, the method comprising: receiving a communication from an originating device that is intended for a recipient device; accessing an alert profile for the received communication, wherein the alert profile includes rules that are available for determining whether an alert for the communication is to be activated or deactivated, the determination dependent on at least one user-defined criterion identified in the rules, the at least one user-defined criterion relating to one or more of: proximity of the recipient device to the originating device; a priority of the communication; a sender of the communication; and content of the communication; generating alert instructions for rending the alert based on the rules; transmitting the communication to the recipient device; transmitting the alert instructions for rendering the alert to the recipient substantially simultaneously in association with the transmission of the communication to the recipient device if the alert is activated when the communication is transmitted; transmitting the alert instructions for rendering the alert to the recipient substantially after the transmission of the communication to the recipient device as a separate communication if the alert is deactivated when the communication is transmitted; and wherein the alert instructions enable the recipient device to render the alert if the alert is activated and not render the alert if the alert is deactivated.