Method and system for message pacing

1. A method for managing messages comprising the steps of:

receiving over a network, at a pacing system comprising a processor and a data storage system having a set of computer instructions executable by the processor, an indication of a first message intended for a recipient;

sending the first message to the recipient via e-mail to an e-mail address;

receiving over the network, by the pacing system, an indication of a second message intended for the recipient, wherein the indication of the second message is received after the first message is sent to the recipient;

determining according to a pacing algorithm, by the pacing system, a separation between sending the first message and sending the second message to the recipient, the pacing algorithm considering a characteristic of the second message; and

sending the second message to the recipient via email to the e-mail address.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the second message should be sent before an expiration date of the second message; and

sending the second message to the recipient via e-mail sooner than what would be provided for by the pacing algorithm, but the second message is not sent to the recipient immediately.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

monitoring the pacing of sending the first message and the second message to the recipient; and

notifying a message source if the first message or the second message is not sent within a specified time period.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pacing system sorts two or more e-mail messages to determine the second message.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the indication of the first message comprises receiving a first e-mail intended for the recipient and receiving the indication of the second message comprises receiving a second e-mail intended for the recipient.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising immediately sending the first message to the recipient.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising creating a combined e-mail message by combining two or more messages intended for the recipient into a single e-mail message.

8. A system for managing e-mail messages comprising:

one or more e-mail servers;

a pacing system coupled to the one or more e-mail servers, the pacing system comprising a processor and a data storage system having a set of computer instructions executable by the processor to:

receive from the one or more e-mail servers an indication of a first message intended for a recipient;

communicate with the one or more e-mail servers to send the first message to the recipient via e-mail to an e-mail address;

receive from the one or more e-mail servers an indication of a second message intended for the recipient, wherein the indication of the second message is received after the first message is sent to the recipient;

determine according to a pacing algorithm, by the pacing system, a separation between sending the first message to the recipient and sending the second message to the recipient, the pacing algorithm considering a characteristic of the second message; and

communicate with the one or more e-mail servers to send the second message the recipient via e-mail to the e-mail address.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the second message includes an expiration date and wherein the pacing system is further operable to:

determine that the second message should be sent before the expiration date of the second message; and

send the second message to the recipient sooner than what would be provided for by the pacing algorithm, but not immediately.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the pacing system is further operable to create a combined e-mail message by combining two or more different messages intended for the recipient into a single e-mail message.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein receiving the indication of the first message comprises receiving the first message as a first e-mail message from the one or more e-mail servers.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein receiving the indication of the second message comprises receiving the second message as a second e-mail message from the one or more e-mail servers.

13. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions, the computer executable instructions comprising instructions executable by a processor to:

receive an indication of a first message intended for a recipient;

send the first message to the recipient via e-mail to an e-mail address based on information stored in a data storage system;

receive an indication of a second message intended for the recipient, wherein the second message is received after the first message is sent;

determine according to a pacing algorithm a separation between the first message and the second message, the pacing algorithm considering a characteristic of the second message; and

send the second message to the recipient via e-mail to the e-mail address.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the second message includes an expiration date and wherein the computer executable instructions are further executable to:

determine that the second message should be sent before the expiration date of the second message; and

send the second message sooner than what would be provided for by the pacing algorithm, but not immediately.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the computer executable instructions are further executable to create a combined e-mail message by combining two or more e-mail messages intended for the recipient into a single e-mail message.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the computer executable instructions are further executable to apply a template to determine how to format the combined e-mail.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein receiving the indication of the first message comprises receiving the first message as a first e-mail message.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein receiving the indication of the second message comprises receiving the second message as a second e-mail message.