| 摘要 |
The present invention relates to a data processing system, method, computer program product and business method. There are many forms in which information, such as advertisements or other information, can be determinate electronically. Businesses are constantly seeking ways of exploiting the internet you increase the geographical coverage of their market. Advertising plays a significant role in extending those markets. The most common form of advertising via the internet is for a vendor of goods or services to establish a web site which can be accessed via a URL to display in a web browser of a prospective purchaser the goods and/or services offered by the vendor. This method of advertising has the advantage of being globally accessible. However, the method of advertising relies upon the prospective purchaser knowing the URL in advance of being able to locate an appropriate URL via a search engine. Many forms electronic communication are readily passed on or forwarded between friends and work colleagues. The present invention takes advantage of this fact and incorporates within any such electronic communication data representing an advertisement, when rendered by appropriate software, which can be made to vary with time by ensuring that all such electronic communications between third parties are directed and processed by a central or controlling server. Accordingly, the present invention provides data processing system comprising means for creating an outgoing email addressed to a remote server, the email having an attachment containing first data to be processed in an operation at the remote server and data representing a third party email address; means for receiving from the remote server an incoming email comprising an attachment containing second data representing the results of processing the first data; and means for displaying graphically the results of the processing. Advantageously, by ensuring that an exchange of emails between parties is always guaranteed to pass through a specific server containing the advertising information, the advertising information can be made to vary even though the e-mail carrying the advertising data is apparently passed between or directly to individuals. |
