Client Portal Email Ticketing Upgrade

I want to extend our existing client portal with a fully-functional, email-based support desk. When a customer writes to our support address, the system should:

• create a ticket automatically,
• send an immediate, automated acknowledgement, and
• store every reply in one threaded view so that agents—and the customer—can track progress at a glance.

Inside the portal, agents must see ticket IDs, subjects, client name, timestamps, and a running history. I also need simple controls to update status manually, while background rules (for example, “close after 72 h of no reply” or “flag as urgent if subject contains ‘down’”) can change it automatically. That blend of manual and rule-based handling is essential.

You are free to recommend the most suitable stack—whether that is integrating an open-source help-desk (e.g., osTicket, FreeScout, or a custom Laravel module) or coding the logic from scratch—so long as it plugs cleanly into our portal and uses an IMAP/SMTP connection for mail parsing. The UI should match our current styling (React + Tailwind) and respect existing auth sessions.

Deliverables
• Working email parser that converts incoming mail into tickets
• Automated reply template (HTML + variables)
• Ticket list and detail views inside the portal, including filters and search
• Status workflow combining manual buttons and rule-based triggers
• README with setup steps and a brief test plan

I’ll provide API keys, mailbox credentials, and a staging environment. Please outline your proposed approach, tools, and estimated timeline in your bid.