Transmission of messages composed on one or more input devices to a
single or multiple recipients by means of one or plural communication modes is
facilitated. Such communication modes may include conventional or wireless telephone,
facsimile transmission, pager, e-mail, postal mail or courier. Thus, a message
may be directed to a single recipient via multiple modes, such as e-mail and fax,
in order to ensure the earliest possible receipt of the message; or may be directed
to multiple recipients by a single mode or by different modes. In the case of multiple-mode
delivery, "escalation" rules may specify conditions under which different delivery
modes may be sequentially employed. Automatic follow-up to determine whether a
message has been received, as well as automatic sender notification upon confirmation
of receipt, may be employed. The system is capable of sending messages having embedded
questions, and facilitating multi-question surveys.