Tech

What roles do SMTP, POP, and IMAP play in sending and receiving e-mail on the Internet?

* MAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) – Is a standard protocol for accessing e-mail from your local server. IMAP is a client/server protocol in which e-mail is received and held for you by your Internet server. As this requires only a small data transfer this works well even over a slow connection such as a modem. Only if you request to read a specific email message will it be downloaded from the server. You can also create and manipulate folders or mailboxes on the server, delete messages etc.

* The POP (Post Office Protocol 3) protocol provides a simple, standardized way for users to access mailboxes and download messages to their computers.

When using the POP protocol all your e-mail messages will be downloaded from the mail server to your local computer. You can choose to leave copies of your e-mails on the server as well. The advantage is that once your messages are downloaded you can cut the internet connection and read your e-mail at your leisure without further communication costs. On the other hand you might have transferred a lot of message (including spam or viruses) in which you are not at all interested at this point.

* The SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) protocol is used by the Mail Transfer Agent (MTA) to deliver your e-mail to the recipient's mail server. The SMTP protocol can only be used to send emails, not to receive them. Depending on your network / ISP settings, you may only be able to use the SMTP protocol under certain conditions

Will the Internet become as essential business tool like the telephone or will it go the way of the dinosaurs?

As the 21st century continues, it becomes increasingly difficult to imagine how business can be conducted without the Internet. The Internet has transformed many areas of the business arena, and especially communication. By drastically reducing the time required to transmit information over...