Method and device for managing communication activities

A non-transitory computer readable medium having a program stored therein that defines a method that is performable by a device of an internal communication network that executes the program, the method comprising:

• setting up in the internal communication network a list of incoming and outgoing communication activities between the internal participants and at least one external participant as a virtual mailbox that is assigned to the at least one external participant by:
• setting up a list of incoming and outgoing communication activities involving the at least one external participant as the virtual mailbox such that the virtual mailbox is hosted by the device of the internal communication network such that the virtual mailbox is invisible and inaccessible to the at least one external participant;
• recognizing communication activities involving the at least one external participant based on an identification assigned to the at least one external participant;
• depositing each communication activity recognized as being associated with the at least one external participant in the virtual mailbox such that the deposited communication activity is accessible via access to the virtual mailbox;
• releasing the virtual mailbox to at least one selected internal participant by:
• permitting the virtual mailbox to be accessed by internal participants via the internal communication network, the internal participants comprising first and second internal participants;
• communicating communications of the communication activities from the virtual mailbox to a first device of the first internal participant along with communications from at least one mailbox of the first internal participant such that the communications of the communication activities and the communications from the at least one mailbox of the first internal participant are displayable in a single interface via the first device;
• and
• communicating communications of the communication activities from the virtual mailbox to a second device of the second internal participant along with communications from at least one mailbox of the second internal participant such that the communications of the communication activities and the communications from the at least one mailbox of the second internal participant are displayable in a single interface via the second device.

A communication system comprising:

• an internal network comprising:
• an internal network device configured to host a virtual mailbox,
• a first communication device of a first internal participant;
• a second communication device of a second internal participant;
• the internal network device communicatively connectable to the first and second communication devices;
• the internal network device configured to set up a list of incoming and outgoing communication activities between at least one external participant and at least one of the first internal participant and the second internal participant as a virtual mailbox that is assigned to the at least one external participant by:
• setting up a list of incoming and outgoing communication activities involving the at least one external participant as the virtual mailbox such that the virtual mailbox is hosted by the internal network device of an internal communication network such that the virtual mailbox is invisible and inaccessible to the at least one external participant;
• the internal network device configured to recognize communication activities involving the at least one external participant based on an identification assigned to the at least one external participant and deposit each communication activity recognized as being associated with the at least one external participant in the virtual mailbox such that the deposited communication activity is accessible via access to the virtual mailbox;
• the internal network device configured to release the virtual mailbox to the first internal participant and the second internal participant by:
• communicating communications of the communication activities from the virtual mailbox to the first communication device of the first internal participant along with communications from at least one mailbox of the first internal participant such that the communications of the communication activities and the communications from the at least one mailbox of the first internal participant are displayable in a single interface via the first communication device;
• and
• communicating communications of the communication activities from the virtual mailbox to the second communication device of the second internal participant along with communications from at least one mailbox of the second internal participant such that the communications of the communication activities and the communications from the at least one mailbox of the second internal participant are displayable in a single interface via the second communication device.