Methods and systems for achieving and verification of electronic communications

Abstract

A method and system for archiving and/or verifying electronic communications. The method and system provide verification of an email sent by a sender to a recipient, comprising receiving a copy of an email as an addressee; indexing the email according to at least one of sender, recipient, date, or subject matter; and storing an exact copy of the email as received. The method and system also provide for secure electronic communication between a sender and at least one recipient, comprising receiving from the sender view a secure internet connection a message and the email address of at least one intended recipient of the message; sending an email message to the at least one intended recipient of the message that a message is waiting; transmitting the message to the at least one intended recipient via a secure internet connection established by the at least one intended recipient; and sending an email message to the sender that the at least one recipient has been sent the message. The method and system also provide for transmitting a facsimile for a sender to a recipient, the comprising: receiving an electronic facsimile message from the sender together with the facsimile number of the recipient; storing a copy of the electronic facsimile message; transmitting the facsimile message to the facsimile number of the recipient.

1 . A method of sending a verifiable email message, the method comprising: 
 addressing the email message, either as an addressee or a copy, to a third party that will index the email message according to at least one of sender, date, recipient, and subject;    storing an exact copy of the e-mail message for at least a period of time specified by the sender for the purpose of archiving the sender's email message;    sending an acknowledgement of the receipt of the email message from the third party to the sender; and    sending an acknowledgement to at least one addressee notifying the addressee that the email message is waiting for the intended recipient at the third party's Internet website.    
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein upon request, the third party makes a printed copy of the stored e-mail message, and provides a written verification that it is an exact copy of the email message as received from the recipient.  
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein a credit card or debit card of the sender is debited for services.  
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the sender is charged based upon the size of the email and the duration of storage.  
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 4  wherein the sender is advised of charges via email and can settle an account via the internet.  
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the sender is sent a statement of charges incurred.  
   
   
       7 . A method of secure electronic communication comprising: 
 transmitting to a third party via a secure Internet connection an email message and the email address of at least one intended recipient of the email message;    storing an exact copy of the email message in the third party's database for a time period specified by the sender;    sending an email notification from the third party to the intended recipient indicating that an email message is waiting for the intended recipient via an Internet website of the third party;    entering recipient's log on information and a password to permit the recipient to establish a secure Internet connection with the third party's website;    delivering the email message from the third party's database to the intended recipient via the secure Internet connection with the third party's website; and    sending an email notification to the sender when the email message has been transmitted to the intended recipient.    
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 7  wherein the secure Internet connection between the sender and the third party is an SSL connection.  
   
   
       9 . The method according to  claim 7  wherein the secure Internet connection between the at least one intended recipient and the third party is SSL connection.  
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 7  wherein the email message to the at least one intended recipient includes instructions on how to establish a secure Internet connection to receive the message.  
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 7  wherein the email message includes at least a URL to establish the secure Internet connection.  
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 7  wherein the intended recipient enters log on information of a valid username, and password, to logon to the third party's website, and clicks on an inbox to initiate delivery of the message waiting for the intended recipient.  
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 12  further comprising alerting the sender that the copy of the email message that was stored for a time period specified by the sender is about to be deleted if the sender does not extend the time period.  
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 13  wherein the time period for storing the copy of the message is extended for the sender upon agreement to pay an extension fee.  
   
   
       15 . A method of facilitating secure electronic communication between a sender and at least one recipient, comprising: 
 receiving from the sender via a secure internet connection an email message and the email address of at least one intended recipient of the email message;    storing an exact copy of the email message for at least a period of time specified by the sender;    sending an email notification to the at least one intended recipient of the email message that the email message is waiting for the intended recipient to retrieve the email message via a secure internet website of the third party;    establishing a secure internet connection with the intended recipient upon completion of log in by the intended recipient onto the third party's website;    transmitting the email message to the at least one intended recipient via a secure internet connection established by the at least one intended recipient; and    sending an email notification to the sender that the at least one recipient has been sent the email message.    
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 15  wherein the email notification to the at least one intended recipient includes instructions on how to establish a secure internet connection to receive the message.  
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 16  wherein the email notification includes at least a URL to establish the secure internet connection with the third party's website.  
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 17  wherein the email notification includes a password for the intended recipient to use to establish the secure internet connection with the third party's website.  
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 18  wherein the intended recipient enters log on information of a valid username and a password to establish a secure internet connection with the third party's website.  
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 19  wherein the intended recipient clicks on an inbox to initiate delivery of the email message waiting for the intended recipient.