Patent ID: 8037141

Claim:
A system comprising: a memory component that stores at least the following: first logic for providing an email compose window configured to display, to a sender, an email message being composed, the email message including a plurality of intended email recipients, wherein the email window is also configured to display information about the plurality of intended email recipients, the email compose window further configured to provide a plurality of instant messaging presence icons in the email compose window, the instant messaging presence icon configured to provide an indication regarding whether each of the intended email recipients is currently present and active on an instant messaging account; second logic for providing an instant messaging option in the email compose window, the instant messaging option configured to automatically begin a multi-party instant messaging session with the sender and at least two of the plurality of intended email recipients that have information displayed in the email compose window, wherein the at least two of the plurality of intended email recipients that have information displayed in the email compose window are indicated as being currently present and active based on the instant messaging presence icon of the respective intended email recipients, and wherein the instant messaging option in the email compose window comprises a default option to launch the multi-party instant messaging session with only those email recipients currently present and active on the instant messaging account; third logic for providing a first delay delivery option via the email compose window to delay delivery of the email until each of selected intended email recipients is present and active on the instant messaging account; and fourth logic for providing a second delay delivery option via the email compose window to delay delivery of the email until each of selected intended email recipients is not present and not active on the instant messaging account.