INTERNET MAIL DELIVERY AGENT WITH AUTOMATIC CACHING OF FILE ATTACHMENTS

摘要

According to the present invention, e-mail messages are scanned for MIME and other file attachments. Such attachments are selectively stripped from the messages and stored in an accessible location. If desired, the attachment may be compressed prior to storage. A reference (e.g., a link) to the attachment and the location is then substituted in the original e-mail, which is then forwarded to the intended recipient. When the recipient desires to obtain the attachment, he or she selects the reference, preferably from a browser or other rendering engine. The attachment is then decompressed if necessary and served to the recipient.