Alias Management Platforms and Methods

Abstract

Systems and methods of managing aliases are disclosed. An alias management system can be configured to offer access to one or more aliases that point to distribution lists, where aliases can be managed as distinct objects relative to distributions lists or addresses. An alias user can submit desirable criteria for content distribution chain that includes properties of a desirable alias. An alias management server can be used to identify distributions lists that satisfy at least some of the desirable criteria. Additionally, an alias can be created that adheres to at least some of the properties or attributes of the desirable alias. Alias users can be permitted to utilize the alias subject to any rules or polices in place.

1 . A method of managing aliases, the method comprising:
 providing an alias management server storing at least one distribution list comprising at least one address of a message recipient;   providing access to the alias management server to an alias user who is not a sole recipient within the at least one distribution list;   providing to the alias user an alias that points to the at least one distribution list; and   causing a message addressed to the alias to be sent to the addresses within the at least one distribution list.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the alias user is a member of a message distribution chain. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the member of the distribution chain is drawn from the list consisting of: a publisher, an advertiser, and a vendor. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing a message sending facility to the alias user through which the message can be sent upon authentication by the alias management server. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising encoding policy information into the alias. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the policy information includes at least one of alias validity, a restriction on use, and a member of a message distribution chain. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising taking action according to a policy upon translating the alias and deriving the encoded policy information from the translated alias. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising encrypting the alias with a key available to the alias user and the aliases management server. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising validating the alias user by decoding the alias according to the key. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing an analytics engine configured to track one or more metrics related to the alias. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising the analytics engine determining correlations among alias attributes of the alias and the metrics. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein at least some of the metrics relate to the message recipient. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising allowing the alias user to search for the alias by submitting search criteria comprising alias properties. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the step of providing the alias to the alias user includes allowing the user to select among a plurality of aliases satisfying at least some of the search criteria. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the alias to the alias user includes creating an alias object comprising the alias and linking the alias object to a distribution list object, distinct from the alias object, comprising the at least one distribution list. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the alias user is one of multiple recipients in the at least one distribution list.