Use of mailbox for storing metadata in conflict resolution

A communication server for collecting and storing contact unification metadata in a centralized mailbox, the server comprising:

• a memory;
• a processor coupled to the memory, the processor executing a communication application, wherein the communication application is configured to:
• generate unified contact information for one or more contacts retrieved from a plurality of sources by aggregating the retrieved contact information at the mailbox through at least one of conflict resolution and de-duplication;
• collect metadata associated with a contact information unification process and one or more user actions associated with the unified contact information;
• store the collected metadata at the mailbox;
• adjust one of a conflict resolution strategy and a de-duplication strategy for subsequent contact information unification processes based on the stored metadata;
• and
• render the stored metadata available to at least one application employing a predefined schema.

A computer-readable memory device with instructions stored thereon for collecting and storing contact unification metadata in a centralized mailbox, the instructions containing:

• generating unified contact information for one or more contacts retrieved from a plurality of sources by aggregating the retrieved contact information at the mailbox through at least one of conflict resolution and de-duplication;
• collecting metadata associated with a contact information unification process and one or more user actions associated with the unified contact information;
• storing the collected metadata at the mailbox;
• correlating the stored metadata gathered from a user to other metadata and statistical information associated with contacts involved in a conflict;
• adjusting one of a conflict resolution strategy and a de-duplication strategy for subsequent contact information unification processes based on the stored metadata and the correlation;
• and
• rendering the stored metadata available to at least one application employing a predefined schema.