Abstract: A system, method and various software products provide for automatic deferral and review of e-mail messages and other data objects in a networked computer system, by applying business rules to the messages as they are processed by post offices. The system includes rule enforcing post offices that store a plurality of business rules derived from business communication policies. The rule enforcing post offices receive messages from client applications and from other post offices and apply the business rules with a rule engine. The rule engine determines a set of actions, specified by business rules that are fired, to be applied to each message. The rule engine provides the actions to a distribution engine, which executes a highest priority action. Actions include releasing, deleting, returning, forwarding, or gating the message. Gating forwards the message to a gatekeeper, an administrator assigned to review messages for conformity with business policies or for other reasons.