7,072,947 Method and system for monitoring e-mail and website behavior of an e-mail recipient
  Issued: July 4, 2006
  Filed: November 6, 2002
  U.S. Class: 709/217
Abstract:  A system for monitoring email and website behavior of an email recipient is provided. According to one exemplary embodiment, the system includes a mail enhancement server and a logging server. The mail enhancement server is configured to intercept all outgoing emails from a mail server. The mail enhancement server then modifies each outgoing email to include a tracking code. The tracking code is embedded in an image call which in turn is also inserted into the outgoing email. If the outgoing email contains hyperlinks, each hyperlink is also modified to include the tracking code. The tracking code is uniquely associated with the outgoing email. The image call (and the tracking code) is used to detect when the recipient of the outgoing email has opened that email. The tracking code, when embedded in a hyperlink, is also used to monitor whether the recipient has opened the email and/or clicked through on one or more of the hyperlinks in the email. The logging server associates a cookie with the recipient of the outgoing email. When the logging server receives an image call, the corresponding image and the cookie are concurrently delivered to the recipient. The cookie is used to monitor the behavior of the recipient at a website, regardless of how the recipient arrives at that website, be it through a click-through from the email or otherwise. The logging server is configured to capture and store relevant information relating to the outgoing email thereby allowing the sender of the outgoing email and the recipient to be linked and the behavior of the recipient to be monitored via the tracking code, the image call and the cookie.

Posted by GEN-ERIC at 10:02:59 am into the following categories: Patents of the Day

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