Flagged messages in an automatic integrated unified messaging escalation system

摘要

An automatic message escalation system includes attaching an acknowledgement flag to a message after it is received in the message mailbox of an identified message recipient. The status of the acknowledgement flag indicates whether or not the message has been retrieved. After a given or specified period of time, the acknowledgement flag is checked to see if the message was retrieved. If the message was retrieved, the message will not be escalated. If the message was not retrieved, the message will be sent to the next message recipient on an escalation list.

主权项

1. A method for message handling in a unified messaging system comprising:
determining whether a message stored in a mailbox of a first recipient has been retrieved by the first recipient after a time period associated with the mailbox of the first recipient, wherein the first recipient is associated with a first level of an organizational chart; and in response to determining that the message has not been retrieved by the first recipient after the time period associated with the mailbox of the first recipient; identifying recipients, other than the first recipient, associated with levels of the organizational chart other than the first level of the organizational chart; and delivering associated escalation messages to identified recipients.