System and method for e-mail presence confirmation

1. A telecommunications method, comprising:

receiving an e-mail at a server;

reading, by the server, a priority level of the e-mail;

if the priority level is above a predetermined threshold and recipient of said e-mail is a client of a presence service, determining a presence status of the recipient of the e-mail using an e-mail address of said e-mail;

sending a presence confirmation message to said recipient responsive to determining that said recipient is present;

delivering said e-mail to said recipient if a response message to said presence confirmation message is received; and

notifying a sender of said e-mail if said response message to said presence confirmation message is not received.

2. The telecommunications method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said using said e-mail address comprises adding said recipient, by using said e-mail address, to a sender's buddy list and said presence confirmation message comprises an instant messaging message.

3. The telecommunications method in accordance with claim 2 , further comprising removing said recipient from said sender's buddy list after said e-mail has been delivered.

4. The telecommunications method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising reading a priority level of said e-mail to determine whether to check a presence of said recipient.

5. The telecommunications method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising holding entire said e-mail at said server if said recipient is identified as not present.

6. A telecommunications server, comprising:

a memory configured to store an e-mail presence activation module, a presence module, a delivery module, and a notification module; and

one or more controllers in communication with the memory for executing the e-mail presence activation module, the presence module, the delivery module, and the notification module,

wherein the e-mail presence activation module is configured to receive an e-mail from a sender and read therefrom a priority level of the e-mail;

wherein the presence module is responsive to controls from said e-mail presence activation module and configured to determine a presence of a recipient of said e-mail prior to sending said e-mail to said recipient if the priority level is above a predetermined threshold and said recipient is a client of a presence service;

wherein the presence module sends a presence confirmation message to said recipient responsive to determining that said recipient is present;

wherein the delivery module delivers said e-mail to said recipient if a response message to said presence confirmation message is received; and

wherein the notification module notifies said sender of said e-mail if said response message to said presence confirmation message is not received.

7. The telecommunications server in accordance with claim 6 , said e-mail presence activation module configured to determine from said e-mail whether a presence of said recipient is to be determined by request of a sender.

8. The telecommunications server in accordance with claim 6 , wherein said presence confirmation message comprises an instant messaging message.

9. The telecommunications server in accordance with claim 6 , wherein said presence module is configured to add said recipient to a sender's buddy list prior to sending said presence confirmation message.

10. The telecommunications server in accordance with claim 6 , wherein said presence module is configured to provide a signal to deliver said e-mail if a response to said presence confirmation message is received from said recipient.

11. The telecommunications server in accordance with claim 9 , wherein said presence module is configured to remove said recipient from said buddy list when said e-mail is delivered to said recipient.

12. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a plurality of electronic messaging clients; and

at least one messaging server, said at least one messaging server comprising:

a memory configured to store an e-mail presence activation module, a presence module, a delivery module, and a notification module; and

one or more controllers in communication with the memory for executing the e-mail presence activation module, the presence module, the delivery module, and the notification module,

wherein the e-mail presence activation module is configured to receive an e-mail from a sender and read therefrom a priority level of the e-mail;

wherein the presence module is responsive to controls from said e-mail presence activation module and configured to determine a presence of a recipient of said e-mail prior to sending said e-mail to said recipient if the priority level is above a predetermined threshold and said recipient is a client of a presence service,

wherein the presence module sends a presence confirmation message to said recipient responsive to determining that said recipient is present;

wherein the delivery module delivers said e-mail to said recipient if a response message to said presence confirmation message is received; and

wherein the notification module notifies said sender of said e-mail if said response message to said presence confirmation message is not received.

13. The telecommunications system in accordance with claim 12 , said e-mail presence activation module configured to determine from said e-mail whether the e-mail includes a request by the sender that a determination of a presence of said recipient is to be made.

14. The telecommunications system in accordance with claim 13 , wherein said presence confirmation message comprises an instant messaging message.

15. The telecommunications system in accordance with claim 13 , wherein said presence module is configured to add said recipient to a sender's buddy list prior to sending said presence confirmation message.

16. The telecommunications system in accordance with claim 13 , wherein said presence module is configured to provide a signal to deliver said e-mail if a response to said presence confirmation message is received from said recipient.

17. The telecommunications system in accordance with claim 15 , wherein said presence module is configured to remove said recipient from said buddy list when said e-mail is delivered to said recipient.

18. A telecommunications method, comprising:

providing a plurality of electronic messaging clients;

providing at least one messaging server, said at least one messaging server comprising:

an e-mail presence activation module configured to receive an e-mail from a sender and read therefrom a priority level of the e-mail; and

a presence module responsive to controls from said e-mail presence activation module and configured to determine a presence of a recipient of said e-mail prior to sending said e-mail to said recipient if the priority level is above a predetermined threshold and said recipient is a client of a presence service,

wherein the presence module sends a presence confirmation message to said recipient responsive to determining that said recipient is present;

a delivery module configured to deliver said e-mail to said recipient if a response message to said presence confirmation message is received; and

a notification module configured to notify said sender of said e-mail if said response message to said presence confirmation message is not received.

19. The telecommunications method in accordance with claim 18 , said e-mail presence activation module configured to determine from the e-mail whether the e-mail includes a request by the sender that a determination of a presence of the recipient is to be made.

20. The telecommunications method in accordance with claim 19 , wherein said presence confirmation message comprises an instant messaging message.

21. The telecommunications method in accordance with claim 19 , wherein said presence module is configured to add said recipient to a sender's buddy list prior to sending said presence confirmation message.

22. The telecommunications method in accordance with claim 19 , wherein said presence module is configured to provide a signal to deliver said e-mail if a response to said presence confirmation message is received from said recipient.

23. The telecommunications method in accordance with claim 21 , wherein said presence module is configured to remove said recipient from said buddy list when said e-mail is delivered to said recipient.

24. A telecommunication method for providing a server, comprising:

providing an e-mail presence activation module configured to receive an e-mail from a sender and read therefrom a priority level of the e-mail; and

providing a presence module responsive to controls from said e-mail presence activation module and configured to determine a presence of a recipient of said e-mail prior to sending said e-mail to said recipient if the priority level is above a predetermined threshold and said recipient is a client of a presence service,

wherein the presence module sends a presence confirmation message to said recipient responsive to determining that said recipient is present;

providing a delivery module configured to deliver said e-mail to said recipient if a response message to said presence confirmation message is received; and

providing a notification module configured to notify said sender of said e-mail if said response message to said presence confirmation message is not received.

25. The telecommunications method in accordance with claim 24 , said e-mail presence activation module configured to determine from the e-mail whether a presence of the recipient is to be determined by request of a sender.

26. The telecommunications method in accordance with claim 25 , wherein said presence confirmation message comprises an instant messaging message.

27. The telecommunications method in accordance with claim 25 , wherein said presence module is configured to add said recipient to a sender's buddy list prior to sending said presence confirmation message.

28. The telecommunications method in accordance with claim 25 , wherein said presence module is configured to provide a signal to deliver said e-mail if a response to said presence confirmation message is received from said recipient.

29. The telecommunications method in accordance with claim 27 , wherein said presence module is configured to remove said recipient from said buddy list when said e-mail is delivered to said recipient.

30. A telecommunications method, comprising:

receiving an e-mail at a server;

reading, by the server, a priority level of the e-mail;

if the priority level is above a predetermined threshold, using an e-mail address of said e-mail to check a presence status of a recipient of an e-mail;

sending a presence confirmation message to said recipient responsive to determining, by said using said e-mail address of said e-mail, that said recipient is present and said recipient is a client of a presence service, said presence confirmation message offering the recipient an option to accept or decline to receive the e-mail;

if an accept response message to said presence confirmation message is received, delivering said e-mail to said recipient; and

if a decline response message is received, waiting for predetermined period of time before attempting to deliver the e-mail and sending a new presence confirmation message.