Patent ID: 7519912

Claim:
A method of providing information describing detected uses of communication software applications by remote computer system users to local computer system users, comprising: obtaining, by an awareness client application process executing on a local computer system, from an associated awareness server application process executing on a server computer system, an online status of said remote computer system user; presenting, by said awareness client application process, an awareness object associated with said remote computer system user, wherein said awareness object includes an indication of said remote computer system user, wherein said awareness object further includes an indication of said online status of said remote computer system user; obtaining, by said awareness client application process on said local computer system, responsive to said presenting said awareness object associated with said remote computer system user, communication mode activity information regarding said remote computer system user, wherein said communication mode activity information describes a use of each one of a plurality of different communication software applications by said remote computer system user, said plurality of different communication software applications including an electronic mail application, an internet protocol phone application, an electronic meeting application, and said awareness server application, wherein said communication mode activity information includes indications of actions performed by said remote computer system user, wherein said actions include printing and saving at least one electronic mail message and at least one attachment to said electronic mail message; detecting a selection of said awareness object associated with said remote computer user by said local computer system user; and presenting, by said awareness client application process, said communication mode activity information regarding said remote computer system user in a display for said local computer system, wherein said presenting includes displaying a plurality of icons, each one of said plurality of icons representing a corresponding one of said plurality of different communication software applications, and displaying only communication mode activity information associated with one of said communication software applications responsive to detecting said local computer system user hovering a cursor over one of said plurality of icons corresponding to said one of said communication software applications.