Method of customizing a standardized IT policy

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium embodying program code means executable by a processor at a server for performing a method for providing an IT policy to configure a plurality of devices associated with a group of users on a network, the IT policy comprising a set of rules that dictate the functionality of the plurality of devices, wherein the IT policy comprises IT policy data that is customizable on a per-user basis and the method comprises:

• checking for a change made to a global IT policy;
• noting a first group of users for which the change in the global IT policy applies;
• checking for at least one special user in the first group of users that have per-user IT policy rules;
• generating global IT policy data based on settings in a first data structure associated with global IT policy rules that are applicable to all users within the group of users;
• generating per-user IT policy data based on settings in a second data structure associated with the per-user IT policy rules that are applicable to the at least one special user within the group of users;
• generating merged IT policy data by merging the global IT policy data and the per-user IT policy data, the merged IT policy data being generated before being sent to the at least one special user;
• sending the merged IT policy data to the at least one special user within the group;
• and
• defining at least one of the global IT policy rules and the per-user IT policy rules to specify at least one of maximum storage size and maximum storage time for electronic messages stored on the devices based on at least one keyword used in the subject line of the electronic messages, the at least one keyword corresponding to a message type comprising at least one of personal, corporate, customer, sensitive and confidential messages.

An IT policy server for providing an IT policy to configure a plurality of devices associated with a group of users on a network, the IT policy comprising a set of rules that dictate the functionality of the plurality of devices, wherein the IT policy comprises IT policy data that is customizable on a per-user basis and the IT policy server comprises:

• a processor adapted to generate the IT policy data;
• a network interface connected to the processor, the network interface being adapted to allow the IT policy server to communicate with the network;
• and
• a memory unit connected to the processor, the memory unit being adapted to store applications and data related to the IT policy,
• wherein, the processor is configured to check for a change made to a global IT policy, to note a first group of users for which the change in the global IT policy applies, to check for at least one special user in the first group of users that have per-user IT policy rules, to generate global IT policy data based on settings in a first data structure associated with global IT policy rules that are applicable to all users within the group of users, to generate per-user IT policy data based on settings in a second data structure associated with the per-user IT policy rules that are applicable to the at least one special user within the group of users, to generate merged IT policy data by merging the global IT policy data and the per-user IT policy data, the merged IT policy data being generated before being sent to the at least one special user, to send the merged IT policy data to the at least one special user within the group, and to define at least one of the global IT policy rules and the per-user IT policy rules to specify at least one of maximum storage size and maximum storage time for electronic messages stored on the devices based on at least one keyword used in the subject line of the electronic messages, the at least one keyword corresponding to a message type comprising at least one of personal, corporate, customer, sensitive and confidential messages.

A communications system for providing an IT policy to configure a plurality of devices associated with a group of users of the system, the IT policy comprising a set of rules that dictate the functionality of the plurality of devices, wherein the IT policy comprises IT policy data that is customizable on a per-user basis and the system comprises:

• an IT policy server comprising:
• a processor adapted to generate the IT policy data;
• a network interface connected to the processor, the network interface being adapted to allow the IT policy server to communicate with the network;
• and
• a memory unit connected to the processor, the memory unit being adapted to store applications and data related to the IT policy, and
• a plurality of user devices connected to the network
• wherein, the processor is configured to check for a change made to a global IT policy, to note a first group of users for which the change in the global IT policy applies, to check for at least one special user in the first group of users that have per-user IT policy rules, to generate global IT policy data based on settings in a first data structure associated with global IT policy rules that are applicable to all users within the group of users, to generate per-user IT policy data based on settings in a second data structure associated with the per-user IT policy rules that are applicable to the at least one special user within the group of users, to generate merged IT policy data by merging the global IT policy data and the per-user IT policy data, the merged IT policy data being generated before being sent to the at least one special user, to send the merged IT policy data to the at least one special user within the group, and to define at least one of the global IT policy rules and the per-user IT policy rules to specify at least one of maximum storage size and maximum storage time for electronic messages stored on the devices based on at least one keyword used in the subject line of the electronic messages, the at least one keyword corresponding to a message type comprising at least one of personal, corporate, customer, sensitive and confidential messages.