Group email management

A computer readable medium bearing computer executable instructions which, when executed on a computing system comprising at least a processor, carry out a method for managing email directed to a defined email group, the method comprising:

• receiving an email for distribution to recipients managed by the enhanced managed email service;
• determining whether the email is directed to an email group managed by the enhanced managed email service;
• and
• upon determining that the email is directed to an email group managed by the enhanced managed email service:
• storing the email in a group folder common to the members of the email group such that the members of the email group that are referentially-identified have access to the received email via the group folder;
• setting an initial user access status for the received email in the group folder for each of the members of the email group;
• identifying a first specifically-identified user of the received email, wherein the first specifically-identified user of the received email is also a member of the email group;
• storing the email in a folder associated with the first specifically-identified user other than the group folder;
• linking the received email in the specifically-identified user's folder with the received email in the group folder such that an access of the received email in the group folder by the first specifically-identified user causes a corresponding update to the received email in the specifically-identified user's email folder;
• and
• sending a notification to the members of the email group informing them of the received email.

A computer system implementing an enhanced managed email service, the system comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the processor executes instructions stored in the memory as part of or in conjunction with additional components provide functionality of the enhanced managed email service, the additional components comprising:

• an email service component;
• and
• a group email data store;
• wherein the email service component is configured to, upon receiving an email to recipients managed by the enhanced managed email service:
• determine whether the received email is directed to an email group managed by the enhanced managed email service;
• upon determining that the email is directed to an email group managed by the enhanced managed email service:
• store the email in a group folder common to the members of the email group in the group email data store such that the members of the email group that are referentially-identified by the received email have access to the received email via the group folder;
• and
• set an initial user access status for the received email in the group folder for each of the members of the email group;
• identify a first specifically-identified user of the received email, wherein the first specifically-identified user of the received email is also a member of the email group;
• store the email in a folder associated with the first specifically-identified user other than the group folder;
• link the received email in the specifically-identified user's folder with the received email in the group folder such that an access of the received email in the group folder by the first specifically-identified user causes a corresponding update to the received email in the specifically-identified user's email folder;
• and
• send a notification to the members of the email group informing them of the received email.