System for handling electronic mail in a multiple user environment

A method of journalsing electronic mail in a shared multiple user environment, in which the users' incoming electronic mail are sent and received from extenal correspondents, said system includes a common mail server with a central storage wherein electronic mail items of the users are stored and may be retrieved, said method comprising:

• monitoring the flow of in- and outbound electronic mails on the mail server to and from the server users, and intercepting at least a selection of the in- and outbound e-mails,
• creating a notification record of a set of e-mail information data for each intercepted electronic mail and providing that the users can decide if intercepted electronic mails are to be available for a search query, whereby electronic mails are journalized and shared between a multiple of users;
• storing said notification records and the associated electronic mails in an electronic mail manager database (EMM-DB) so that the notification records and the associated electronic mails are archived and made accessible for the users in the multiple users environment by a search query;
• creating predefined and ad-hoc search queries by a query builder (EQB), said search queries can be applied/submitted to the EMM-DB and wherein a search query is selecting a user-defined series of information data from the notification records in the electronic mail management database irrespective of recipients or senders of said electronic mails;
• storing said predefined and ad-hoc search queries in a query database (QUERY-DB);
• providing all users access to queries in the QUERY-DB and electronic mails in the EMM-DB. whereby the electronic mails are searchable independent of senders and recipients;
• and
• defining user access rights to queries in the QUERY-DB and electronic mails in the EMM-DB by access control means (EAC).

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable program code means providing an e-mall management system for journalising electronic mail in a shared multiple user environment, in which the users' incoming electronic mall are sent and received from external correspondents, said system includes a common mall server with a central storage wherein electronic mail items of the users are stored and may be retrieved, said computer- readable program code comprising:

• computer program code means for providing detecting means for monitoring the flow of in- and outbound electronic mails on the mall server to and from the server users, and intercepting at least a selection of the in- and outbound e-malls;
• computer program code means for providing journalising means for creating a notification record of a set of e-mall information data for each intercepted electronic mail wherein the users can decide if intercepted electronic mails are to be available for a search query, whereby electronic mails are journalized and shared between a multiple of users;
• computer program code means for storing said notification records and the associated electronic mails in an electronic mail manager database (EMM-DB) for storing at least said notification record and each electronic mail in a manner accessible for the users in the multiple users environment, so that the notification records and the associated electronic mails are archived and made accessible for the users in the multiple users environment by a search query;
• computer program code means for creating predefined and ad-hoc search queries by a query builder (EQB), said search queries can be applied/submitted to the EMM-DB and wherein a search query is selecting a user-defined series of information data from the notification records in the electronic mail management database irrespective of recipients or senders of said electronic mails;
• computer program code means for storing said predefined and ad-hoc search queries in a query database (QUERY-DB);
• computer program code means for providing all users access to queries in the QUERY-DB and electronic mails in the EMM-DB, whereby the electronic mails are searchable independent of senders and recipients;
• and
• computer program code means for defining user access rights to queries in the OUERY-DB and electronic mails in the EMM-DB by access control means (EAC).