Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Allison Bellew Sousa

Erin Woo

Arnaud Vallat

Thomas Charles Underhill

Joshua Bouckenooghe

John J Lotito

Peter Nagy

Afraz A Siddiqui

Systems and methods for initiating an instant messaging chat session from an email thread are described. In examples, an email thread including at least one email is received and user identifiers form the at least one email are extracted. Presence information associated with each user identifier of the plurality of user identifiers is obtained and then ordered. The ordered plurality of user identifiers together with their presence information are displayed in a user interface window. A determination to display a user control associated with an instant messaging capability is based on the presence information associated with at least one user identifier of the plurality of user identifiers. Upon receiving an indication that the user control associated with the instant messaging chat capability is selected, an instant messaging chat session is initiated.

System and method for converting an email thread to an instant message group

Growing community of inventors

Boulder, CO, United States of America

Allison Bellew Sousa