A system for enhancing the reliability of communicating with electronic
messages. The system sends an electronic message to designated recipients,
and then automatically helps ensure that each message has been
successfully delivered within a specified period of time and that each
message has been reviewed within a specified period of time. In addition,
the system automatically performs specified activities after review of a
message takes place. The sender of an electronic message initiates
reliability-enhanced messaging by specifying message delivery information
and message review information. The sender can specify that if delivery or
review notifications are not received within specified periods of time,
the message will be resent to the recipient or a reminder message will be
sent to the recipient or to another user. The message information can
include various frequency and duration options, such as resending a
message only once or resending it every 2 hours for a week. Message
information can also specify to resend the message with a higher
transmission priority or review urgency so that its delivery and review is
more likely, or could specify to use a different recipient system for the
recipient (e.g., to a second email address if a first address fails, or to
a pager if a cellular phone is not available). Each recipient of a message
can have individualized message delivery information. The system tracks
whether each message has been delivered to each recipient, and uses the
message delivery information to resend the messages whose delivery and
review was not confirmed.
