A secure electronic message exchange system, including a plurality of
workstations, a communications medium, and a control platform coupled to
a workstation of the plurality of workstations by the communications
medium. The control platform includes one or more apparatuses for
monitoring, controlling, converting, and billing related to, messages
exchanged between a plurality of local users and a plurality of remote
users. The control platform also prevents a forwarding of or a copying of
a message, sent by a local user of the plurality of local users and
received by a remote user of the plurality of remote users, to another
party, where the control platform provides authentication of the remote
user.