Methods and systems for managing group chats among team members

1. A computer system for hosting electronic group chat, the computer system comprising:

a memory device for storing data; and

a processor coupled in communication with the memory device, said processor programmed to:

electronically host a plurality of chat rooms;

associate a first chat room of the plurality of chat rooms with a first element inputted into the computer system, wherein the first element comprises one of a task, a task list, a work process, a document, and a record;

transmit chat communications between a plurality of users of the chat rooms;

selectively link separate conversations in the chat rooms into separate threads;

assign, in response to an input from a user of the first chat room, the first element to a user who is not a user of the first chat room; and

display chat communications associated with the first element in the first chat room and in association with the first element, wherein a plurality of chat messages of the chat communications are linked in at least one thread.

2. A computer system in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising associating the first chat room with a second chat room of the plurality of chat rooms.

3. A computer system in accordance with claim 2 , wherein said processor is programmed to hierarchically order the first and second chat rooms.

4. A computer system in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising associating the first chat room with a mobile device, and wherein the processor is programmed to transmit text communications received in the first chat room to the mobile device.

5. A computer system in accordance with claim 4 and wherein the processor is programmed to receive the communication from the mobile device and present the received communication in the first chat room.

6. A computer system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to store data associated with the plurality of chat rooms in said memory device, wherein the stored data includes at least one of text communications, chat communications, task lists, and file attachments.

7. A computer system in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the processor is further programmed to index the stored data.

8. A computer system in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the processor is further programmed to permit a user to search the indexed data.

9. A computer system in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the processor is further programmed to analyze the stored data and provide results of the analysis to a user.

10. A method of providing electronic group chat communications, the method comprising:

electronically hosting a plurality of chat rooms;

associating a first chat room of the plurality of chat rooms with a first element, wherein the first element comprises one of a task, a task list, a work process, a document, and a record;

transmitting chat communications between a plurality of users of the chat rooms;

selectively linking separate conversations in the chat rooms into separate threads;

assigning, in response to an input from a user of the first chat room, the first element to a user who is not a user of the first chat room; and

displaying chat communications associated with the first element in the first chat room and in association with the first element, wherein a plurality of chat messages of the chat communications are linked in at least one thread.

11. A method in accordance with claim 10 , further comprising associating the first chat room with a second chat room of the plurality of chat rooms, and hierarchically ordering the first and second chat rooms.

12. A method in accordance with claim 10 , further comprising associating the first chat room with a mobile device, transmitting communications received in the first chat room to the mobile device, receiving communications from the mobile device, and presenting in the first chat room the communications received from the mobile device.

13. A method in accordance with claim 10 , further comprising storing data associated with the plurality of chat rooms in said memory device, wherein the stored data includes at least one of text communications, chat communications, task lists, and file attachments.

14. A method in accordance with claim 13 , further comprising indexing the stored data and permitting a user to search said indexed data.

15. A method in accordance with claim 13 , further comprising analyzing the stored data, and providing results of said analysis to a user.

16. A computer system for hosting electronic group chat, the computer system comprising:

a memory device, said memory device storing a response template for an event, the response template comprising an action plan for responding to the event, the action plan including identification of a group and at least one task, the group including a plurality of members; and

a processor coupled in communication with the memory device, said processor programmed to, upon initiation of a response based on the response template:

notify a member of the group that a response to the event has been initiated based on the template;

create at least one electronic chat room;

assign the plurality of members of the group to the electronic chat room;

associate the at least one task with the electronic chat room;

transmit chat communications between the plurality of members of the group assigned to the electronic chat room;

assign, in response to an input from a member of the group assigned to the at least one electronic chat room, the task to a user who is not a member of the group assigned to the at least one electronic chat room; and

display chat communications associated with the first element in the at least one electronic chat room and in association with the task, wherein a plurality of chat messages of the chat communications are linked in at least one thread.

17. A computer system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to create a second chat room associated with the first chat room and at least a portion of the first element, and wherein communication in the second chat room is displayed in both the second chat room and the first chat room.

18. A computer system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein communications associated with the first element in the first chat room comprise text communications directed at the first element and changes to the first element by a user.

19. A method in accordance with claim 10 , further comprising creating a second chat room associated with the first chat room and at least a portion of the first element, and displaying communication in the second chat room in both the second chat room and the first chat room.