Method for managing instant messaging presence by group

1. A computer implemented method for managing IM presence based on task context, comprising:

storing group affiliations and override exceptions for a requesting IM user and a target IM user;

receiving a request from the requesting IM user for the target IM user's status;

determining the requesting IM user's group affiliation;

determining the target IM user's status relationship associated with the requesting IM user's group affiliation;

returning the status relationship for the target IM user to the requesting IM user; and

forwarding communication from the requesting IM user to a predefined reroute destination if the target IM user has defined the reroute destination for communication originating from the requesting IM user's group affiliation;

determining whether the target IM user has granted the requesting IM user an override exception if the target IM user's status relationship indicates that the requesting IM user is affiliated with a group that the target IM user does not currently wish to communicate with; and

forwarding communication from the requesting IM user to the target IM user if it is determined that the target IM user has granted the requesting IM user an override exception.