Abstract: Techniques for enrolling a user in an organization directory include receiving a first request from a first user for inclusion in the directory configured to facilitate access to a collaboration application, the first request including a least a first user profile item for the first user; generating a first user account for the user assigned a first set of permissions and including a first user profile listing the first user profile item; providing a first level of access to the directory; receiving a second request from a second user transitioning the first user account from the first set of permissions to a second, broader set of permissions; verifying a first user identity for the first user based on the second request; assigning the first user account the second set of permissions; automatically updating the directory; and providing a second level of access to the directory to the first user.

Abstract: Techniques for enrolling a user in an organization directory include receiving a first request from a first user for inclusion in the directory configured to facilitate access to a collaboration application, the first request including a least a first user profile item for the first user; generating a first user account for the user assigned a first set of permissions and including a first user profile listing the first user profile item; providing a first level of access to the directory; receiving a second request from a second user transitioning the first user account from the first set of permissions to a second, broader set of permissions; verifying a first user identity for the first user based on the second request; assigning the first user account the second set of permissions; automatically updating the directory; and providing a second level of access to the directory to the first user.

Abstract: A messaging system comprising: computer storage holding messaging accounts for users of the messaging system, each comprising a user identifier of a first type; an account manager for managing the messaging accounts; a group manager configured to grant participant users access to messaging groups by creating, in the computer storage, associations between the messaging groups and the messaging accounts of the participant users; a group messaging service configured for use in transmitting and receiving messages, in each of the plurality of messaging groups, between the participant users granted access to that messaging group, using the user identifiers of the first type in their messaging accounts.

Abstract: A messaging system comprising: computer storage holding messaging accounts for users of the messaging system, each comprising a user identifier of a first type; an account manager for managing the messaging accounts; a group manager configured to grant participant users access to messaging groups by creating, in the computer storage, associations between the messaging groups and the messaging accounts of the participant users; a group messaging service configured for use in transmitting and receiving messages, in each of the plurality of messaging groups, between the participant users granted access to that messaging group, using the user identifiers of the first type in their messaging accounts.

Abstract: A messaging system with messaging accounts for users of the messaging system comprises a group messaging service for transmitting and receiving messages via a network between users in each of plurality of messaging groups, those users having messaging accounts associated with that messaging group. An organization management system with member accounts for members of an organization comprises a registration service for registering user identifiers with the member accounts. An information retrieval service of the organization management system generates a group information request comprising a user identifier registered with one of the member accounts. A system interface communicates to the organization management system, in response, information about at least one of the messaging groups associated with a corresponding one of the messaging accounts comprising a matching user identifier.

Abstract: A system and method for aggregating user response data in a communication system such as an instant messaging (IM system). Aggregation is performed according to a hierarchical group addressing structure into which users are arranged. Data may be input, output and distributed in a structured data format. Aggregating information comprises collating, in each group in the hierarchical group addressing structure, information contained in responses from individual users in that group. Aggregating said information may further comprise collating, for each group in the hierarchical group addressing structure, information contained in responses from all child groups subordinate to that group. Because the grouping structure for addressing or routing is pre-existing, no additional grouping or categorising of individuals or responses is required.

Abstract: In an instant messaging system users can be assigned groups to assist in distributing messages quickly and easily among designated users. A hierarchical grouping structure can be defined to provide increased control of groups and message routing. Parent and child groups can be defined, and a cascaded message flow can route messages from parent to child groups, but not from child to parent groups, which is particularly useful in very large systems with large numbers of users.