Project Portfolio

E-mail response tool project

A threaded email CRM application which provides staff access to a shared inbox (with locking) and is used to respond to customer emails and process customer feedback from the web site.

Based on xml Web Services staff may connect remotely to the server over the internet with no special requirements. The application may run from a web page or can be destributed as a seperate executable.

The client even when running remotely is very responsive due to the user of web services. In addition rich functionality such as auto-correction and spell checking are available. The application supports multiple languages, the language of incoming emails is automatically detected and signatures and automatic repsonses are language specific.

Server Platform

Target Client Platform

Advantages of the system

1. Incoming messages are stored in the SQL database on the server
2. Possibility to trace mail threads by certain customer
3. Incoming messages may be filtered by subject, address, mail body (spam protection feature)
4. Comments may be attached to messages for later use, or by other users (order numbers etc)
5. Standard responses in multiple languages
6. Intelligent message locking (only one user is allowed to reply)

Functionalities

1. Mail sent from Windows service - no client delays, and better handling.
2. Mail sending is multithreaded – one thread that queries database at regular intervals for messages to send, and a configurable amount of threads that are able to send out mails given by the queue thread.
3. Mails going out from the system have from name and email in Database.
4. Outgoing Mails contain a signature and includes the name of user sending mail.
5. Tracking code appended to each outgoing mail.

1. Mail collection from multiple POP3 accounts.
2. Mail collection is multithreaded – one thread per pop3 account;
3. Mail attachments save to disk and are able to be accessed remotely;
4. Tracking code located and mail thread linked in the system.

Security

1. All web services secured with password security in the xml soap header.
2. SQL injection attacks thawted in the interfaces and use of stored procedures.

Filtering and Spam protection

1. Incoming mail can be filtered before it is shown in the inbox. Mail containing the filtered data in email addresses, names, subjects, body is moved to the deleted items folder;
2. From the inbox the context menu may be used to quickly add new filters based on the selected message; such as: “block E-email address”;

The User Interface

1. Tree view of folders on left. Always visible but width can be changed;
2. A content area that fills right. Inside here tabs can be created for each folder or functionality. For example a tab for inbox and preview, a tab for a reply, a tab for a new message, a tab for filtering admin.
3. Multiple tabs for new message / reply for different messages should be possible. Only 1 tab allowed for folders and other functions.
4. Possible to close tabs;
5. An Inbox Tab (top 100) messages;
6. An Outbox Tab (last 50) messages sent;
7. View of each of the other folders (last 100 by default);
8. Search pane in each of these folders;
9. Admin for filtering criteria;
10. Admin for standard responses;
11. Admin for standard signatures;

Inbox / Outbox / Search results display

1. Attachments indicator
2. User who currently has email open
3. Sender Name / Email address
4. Subject
5. Date and time of email
6. Context menu on each message with options:
• Open
• Reply (default double click action)
• Forward
• Move to:

- Active Items
- Archive
• Block email
• Delete
• Lock (only show if unlocked)
• Unlock (only show if locked by current user)

Mail Detail display:

1. All details are visible or shown on the screen (From, to names and email, subject etc.
2. Mail can’t be edited
3. A reply can be sent.
4. Toolbar with delete, reply and other move functions
5. Attachments can be opened (low priority)
6. Ability to attach MailExtra (comment etc)

Mail Reply Display

Toolbar with buttons for:

1. Insert a standard response into the email;
2. Insert a standard signature into the email;
3. Spell check;
4. Save to draft folder;
5. Move original message to specific folder after sent;
6. Original mail included in reply with divider ”-----Original Message-----“
7. Ability to attach MailExtra (comment etc)
8. Ability to save to outbox for later editing / sending

Searching – mails searched by the following criteria

Search criteria

1. Date/Time range
2. Subject & Body
3. Modified User
4. Tracking Code
5. Message body (using SQL search index over all text in mails tables)

Ordering by: date, subject, sender, recipient

Search results