Agent architecture employed within an integrated message, document and communication system

1. A system for managing messages, communications and/or documents, the system comprising a memory for storing program code and a processor to process the program code to cause the operation of:

providing a plurality of task agents, each task agent to perform one or more specified message processing actions, document processing actions, and/or communications processing actions on different types of messages, documents and/or communication channels, respectively;

providing one or more manager agents to coordinate the actions of the plurality of task agents responsive to a plurality of message and/or document processing rules that integrate management of documents and messages for communication;

wherein the manager agents are arranged in a hierarchy with certain specified manager agents positioned relatively higher in the hierarchy coordinate management activities of other manager agents positioned relatively lower in the hierarchy;

wherein the manager and task agents communicate by passing messages;

wherein messages between any two task agents or manager agents are transmitted through one or more manager agents positioned relatively further up the hierarchy; and

wherein the processing of the processing code further causes the operation of providing a main task manager agent to coordinate all other manager agents and associated task agents.

2. The system as in claim 1 wherein the plurality of task agents include both electronic messaging task agents for processing electronic message types and telephony task agents for processing telephony communications and messaging.

3. The system as in claim 2 wherein the electronic messaging task agents include task agents for processing email messages, instant messages and text messages.

4. The system as in claim 2 wherein the telephony task agents include telephony task agents for processing standard PSTN, voice-over-IP (“VoIP”) calls, voice messages, and faxes.

5. The system as in claim 1 wherein the manager and task agents employ Internet sockets to pass messages.

6. The system as in claim 1 wherein the task agents and manager agents are distributed across multiple computers according to the functions performed by the task agents and manager agents.

7. The system as in claim 1 wherein the processing of the program code further causes the operation of providing interfaces configured on one or more of the manager agents for receiving requests to perform specified message and/or document processing functions and wherein, depending on the nature of the request, a task is initiated on one or more task agents coordinated by the manager agent.

8. A computer-implemented method for managing messages, documents and/or communication channels comprising:

providing a plurality of task agents, each task agent to perform one or more specified message processing actions, document processing actions, and/or communications processing actions on different types of messages, documents and/or communication channels, respectively;

providing one or more manager agents to coordinate the actions of the plurality of task agents responsive to a plurality of message, document, and/or communication channel processing rules that integrate management of documents and messages for communication;

arranging the manager agents in a hierarchy with certain specified manager agents positioned relatively higher in the hierarchy coordinate management activities of other manager agents positioned relatively lower in the hierarchy;

the manager and task agents communicate by passing messages;

wherein messages between any two task or manager agents are transmitted through one or more manager agents positioned relatively further up the hierarchy; and

coordinating all other manager agents and associated task agents through a main task manager agent.

9. The computer-implemented method as in claim 8 wherein the plurality of task agents include both electronic messaging task agents for processing electronic message types and telephony task agents for processing telephony communications and messaging.

10. The computer-implemented method as in claim 9 wherein the electronic messaging task agents include task agents for processing email messages, instant messages and text messages.

11. The computer-implemented method as in claim 9 wherein the telephony task agents include telephony task agents for processing standard PSTN calls, voice-over-IP (“VoIP”) calls, voice messages, and faxes.

12. The computer-implemented method as in claim 8 wherein the manager and task agents employ Internet sockets to pass messages.

13. The computer-implemented method as in claim 8 further comprising: distributing the task and manager agents across multiple computers according to the functions performed by the task and manager agents.

14. The computer-implemented method as in claim 8 further comprising: receiving requests to perform specified message and/or document processing functions at interfaces on one or more of the manager agents; and initiating a task on one or more of the task agents coordinated by the manager agent depending on the nature of the request.

15. An article of manufacture including program code stored in a memory which, when executed by a machine, causes the machine to perform the operations of:

providing a plurality of task agents, each task agent to perform one or more specified message processing actions, document processing actions, and/or communications processing actions on different types of messages, documents and/or communication channels, respectively; and

providing one or more manager agents to coordinate the actions of the plurality of task agents responsive to a plurality of message, document, and/or communication channel processing rules that integrate managements of documents and messages for communication;

arranging the manager agents in a hierarchy with certain specified manager agents positioned relatively higher in the hierarchy coordinate management activities of other manager agents positioned relatively lower in the hierarchy;

wherein the manager and task agents communicate by passing messages;

wherein messages between any two task or manager agents are transmitted through one or more manager agents positioned relatively further up the hierarchy; and

program code to perform the operations of coordinating all other manager agents and associated task agents through a main task manager agent.

16. The article of manufacture as in claim 15 wherein the plurality of task agents include both electronic messaging task agents for processing electronic message types and telephony task agents for processing telephony communications and messaging.

17. The article of manufacture as in claim 16 wherein the electronic messaging task agents include task agents for processing email messages, instant messages and text messages.

18. The article of manufacture as in claim 16 wherein the telephony task agents include telephony task agents for processing standard PSTN, voice-over-IP (“VoIP”) calls, voice messages, and faxes.

19. The article of manufacture as in claim 15 wherein the manager and task agents employ Internet sockets to pass messages.

20. The article of manufacture as in claim 15 further comprising program code to perform the operations of: distributing the task and manager agents across multiple computers according to the functions performed by the task and manager agents.

21. The article of manufacture as in claim 15 further comprising program code to perform the operations of: receiving requests to perform specified message and/or document processing functions at interfaces on one or more of the manager agents; and initiating a task on one or more of the task agents coordinated by the manager agent depending on the nature of the request.