Abstract: The present invention is directed to Short Message Service (SMS) and Multimedia Message Service (MMS) based advertising, and more specifically to methods and systems for the real-time insertion of one or more ads into said messages for effective and targeted advertising to consumers. In one embodiment, a web-based purchasing marketplace (i.e. an Ad Marketplace) is provided, which facilitates sale, by publishers to advertisers, of ads space on a publisher's message or message inventory. In a further embodiment, methods and systems for managing the process by which ads are selected and inserted into a given message, in real-time, without substantial interruption of the standard process for delivery of said message during a messaging campaign, are provided.

Abstract: Automatically associating users of a communication system, without using an invitation or affirmative permission. In one embodiment, a first user submits contact information about a second user to a relationship system, which stores the information in the first user's contact list. Similarly, a second user submits contact information about the first user to the relationship system, which stores the information in the second user's contact list. The relationship system detects the cross reference in the two contact lists, and stores a first degree relationship between the two users. One of the users submits a request to the relationship system to enable an operation with any other user that was associated with the submitting user. Associations can also be selectively higher degrees with other users. The submitting user need not know which other users will participate in the operation, and the other users need not know the submitting user's identity.

Abstract: A method and system for quickly and reliably processing a high volume of messages. In one embodiment, text messages are submitted by mobile phone subscribers to cast votes. The votes are recorded and replies are returned in near real time by updating a state in active memory for each subscriber that submits a message. To provide scaling and reliability, a message summary is also used to distribute the processing over a number of master-slave pairs that are each defined to access certain messages based on one or more message characteristics, such as an area code of the submitting subscriber. Campaign processing rules are applied to the summary to produce a subscriber state change, which indicates a corresponding reply to be returned. Billing and other administrative operations are done on a post processing basis so as not to slow the vote processing.

Abstract: Identifying a reply message using a relatively limited number of message source identifiers divided among multiple enterprises. In an exemplary embodiment, a message is sent with a source device to one or more target mobile devices on one or more wireless carriers. Each target mobile device can be associated with multiple enterprises. A gateway assigns one of a limited number of long codes to the message for each wireless carrier. The long code is selected from a sub-block of long codes that are associated with one of the multiple enterprises. Each long code identifies the gateway as a return address for the message. Upon receiving a second message, addressed to the long code, the gateway examines an associated target mobile device inbox for a message assigned the same long code. If a matching message exists, the gateway interprets the second message is a reply to the first message.

Abstract: A method and system for identifying a reply message using a relatively limited number of message source identifiers. In an exemplary embodiment, a message is sent with a source device to one or more target mobile devices on one or more wireless carriers. A gateway assigns one of a limited number of long codes to the message for each wireless carrier. Each long code identifies the gateway as a return address for the message. The gateway also stores the message in a virtual inbox for each target mobile device. When a target mobile device sends a second message to the long code, the gateway examines the associated inbox for a message assigned the same long code. If the gateway finds a matching message, the gateway interprets the second message received from the target mobile device as a reply to the first message.

Abstract: An appearance manager for editing and previewing a portion of a Web page, such as a header and/or a footer. A browser-based appearance manager user interface enables a user to edit, validate, and store source markup code of the portion of the Web page without affecting a corresponding deployed Web page. The appearance manager can render the portion of the Web page separate from the remainder of the corresponding deployed Web page or together with the remainder of the corresponding deployed Web page. In either case, the rendering is done separate from the corresponding deployed Web page, so as not to affect the deployed Web page, which is accessible to client browsers. When rendering together, the appearance manager accesses and applies the same stylesheet that is applied to the corresponding deployed Web page. Thus, the user can preview revised portions of the Web page as they will appear when deployed.

Abstract: Detecting unsolicited messages (spam) by aggregating information across multiple recipients and/or across the same or differing messaging protocols. Multiple messages are analyzed to detect a call to action pattern that specifies a target communication address with which the recipients are requested to communicate, such as an email address, an Internet address, a telephone number, and the like. Once a frequency threshold of messages containing the call to action pattern is reached, subsequent messages are temporarily quarantined for evaluation by a human operator. If the human determines that the messages are not spam, the human can release the quarantined messages, and indicate that future messages with the call to action pattern are not to be delayed. Conversely, if the human determines that the messages are spam, the human can delete the messages in quarantine, and indicate that all future messages with that call to action pattern are to be deleted automatically.