Collaborative group and content management utilizing user activated collaboration threads

An apparatus comprising:

• a memory configured to store instructions including one or more applications that support communications between the apparatus and other computing devices over a network;
• a network interface device configured to enable communications over the network;
• and
• a processor coupled to the network interface device and the memory, and configured to execute and control operations of the one or more applications so as to:
• capture a communication between a plurality of participants via computing devices of the participants and utilizing a communication tool associated with the computing devices;
• link the communication to a collaboration thread that is accessible by each participant via a computing device of each participant, wherein the collaboration thread comprises a container object that provides access to stored content associated with each communication linked to the collaboration thread;
• and
• notify each participant of the collaboration thread including an indication that the collaboration thread has been revised based upon the linking of the communication to the collaboration thread;
• wherein:
• the processor facilitates linking of the communication to an existing collaboration thread in response to a participant of the communication providing to the apparatus, during initiation of the communication, an association of the communication with the existing collaboration thread by participant selection of the existing collaboration thread from a list of collaboration threads;
• and
• the processor facilitates access to the collaboration thread via a plug-in module for a user interface of an email communication tool at a computing device of a participant, the user interface including access to different types of communications via different communication tools, and the stored content associated with each type of communication is accessible via the collaboration thread, the user interface including a displayed first list of a plurality of participants associated with the collaboration thread and a displayed second list of different types of communications, wherein the different types of communications of the second list include an email, an instant message, and a phone call that is interactive between at least two participants, and the user interface enables a participant associated with the collaboration thread to select, via the user interface, any combination of one or more participants from the first list together with any type of communication from the second list, that results in automatic initiation of the selected type of communication with the selected one or more participants.

One or more tangible computer readable storage devices encoded with software comprising computer executable instructions and when the software is executed operable to:

• capture a communication between a plurality of participants via computing devices of the participants and utilizing a communication tool associated with the computing devices;
• link the communication to a collaboration thread that is accessible by each participant via a computing device of each participant, wherein the collaboration thread comprises a container object that provides access to stored content associated with each communication linked to the collaboration thread;
• and
• notify each participant of the collaboration thread including an indication that the collaboration thread has been revised based upon the linking of the communication to the collaboration thread;
• wherein:
• the computer executable instructions facilitate linking of the communication to an existing collaboration thread in response to a participant of the communication providing, during initiation of the communication, an association of the communication with the existing collaboration thread by participant selection of the existing collaboration thread from a list of collaboration threads;
• and
• the computer executable instructions facilitate access to the collaboration thread via a plug-in module for a user interface of an email communication tool at a computing device of a participant, the user interface including access to different types of communications via different communication tools, and the stored content associated with each type of communication is accessible via the collaboration thread, the user interface including a displayed first list of a plurality of participants associated with the collaboration thread and a displayed second list of different types of communications, wherein the different types of communications of the second list include an email, an instant message, and a phone call that is interactive between at least two participants, and the user interface enables a participant associated with the collaboration thread to select, via the user interface, any combination of one or more participants from the first list together with any type of communication from the second list, that results in automatic initiation of the selected type of communication with the selected one or more participants.