Importance

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Abstract

An electronic communications package is provided for use upon a plurality of terminals located remote from one another. The communications package provides an electronic mail system which allows a user at an authorized site to create an unlimited number of additional copies of the application package to be installed upon separate and remote terminals. Each copy created by an authorized 'source' site, when recorded on a disk, is capable of installing itself onto another terminal through a self-installing routine. Copies of the application package which are created by a source terminal are considered 'clones' and are afforded all of the communications capabilities of a source terminal when communicating with a source terminal. However, clone terminals are afforded limited communications capabilities with one another. The present communications package is further configured to inform a user when new mail messages are received by flashing one of the LEDs upon the keyboard, such as the Caps Lock LED, the Nums Lock LED, and the Scroll Lock LED. This flashing LED is turned on when new messages are received and is turned off when a user views at least one of the messages newly received. The present communications system utilizes a unique calling technique implemented over non-dedicated phone lines to enable a terminal being called to identify the call as coming from a related communications packet.

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First Claim