Managed rich media system and method

Abstract

A system and method for managing rich media content in a computer system. The method can comprise assembling rich media content at a first computer system; encoding the rich media content into a plurality of computer readable data formats; uploading the encoded rich media content from the user computer system to a second computer system; storing the uploaded rich media content at the second computer system; indexing the uploaded rich media content in a computer library; creating a flyer by matching and linking uploaded rich media content and an executable icon; and distributing the flyer to at least one recipient computer system in one of the plurality of computer readable data formats determined by the network computer system to be compatible with the at least one recipient computer system.

1 - 48 . (canceled) 
     
     
         49 . A method for providing a rich media message associated with a product, comprising:
 obtaining a first piece of rich media content related to a first set of features of the product, wherein the first set of features of the product is determined based on first information associated with a plurality of users;   receiving a request from a user, wherein the request is related to the product;   generating a second piece of rich media content related to a second set of features of the product, wherein the second set of features of the product is determined based on second information associated with the user;   automatically creating the rich media message based on the first and second pieces of rich media content so that the rich media message characterizes the product in terms of both the first and second sets of features; and   transmitting the rich media message to the user in response to the request.   
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein at least one of the first and second pieces of rich media content is highlighted in the rich media message. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 49 , further comprising encoding the first and second pieces of content based on a plurality of computer readable data formats to generate a set of corresponding encoded first and second rich media content optimized according to at least one factor. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the at least one factor is related to a characteristic of at least one of a recipient computer system, a market segment, a device type, bandwidth, content to be displayed on a device, and information about a user. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the rich media message is created by:
 selecting a first encoded rich media content and a second encoded rich media content selected from the set of encoded first and second rich media content that are appropriate for the user with respect to the at least one factor; and   stitching together the selected first and second encoded rich media content.   
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein transmitting the rich media message comprises:
 determining a characteristic of a recipient computer system associated with the user; and   streaming the rich media message to the recipient computer system associated with the user based on the characteristic of the recipient computer system associated with the user.   
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the transmitting comprises:
 linking the rich media message to a web page; and   transmitting a uniform resource locator (URL) associated with the web page to the user.   
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the user views the rich media message by accessing the web page via the URL. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the URL associated with the web page can be forwarded to another user to view the rich media message via the web page.