7.3. IMAP versus POP3 e-mail
There are two common standards for e-mail management, IMAP and POP3. Your server supports both protocols. You will need to select the protocol that is right for your organization.
POP3 is the earlier, better-known e-mail protocol. POP3 was designed to permit on-demand retrieval to a single client machine. E-mail is stored on the mail server until you retrieve it, at which time it is transferred over the network to your desktop machine and stored in your e-mail box there.
| Benefits of POP3 | Drawbacks of POP3 |
|---|---|
| Even when you are not connected to your network, you have access to the e-mail stored on your desktop. | POP3 was not originally intended to support users accessing and managing their e-mail from remote systems. Because your e-mail is stored on your desktop, setting up remote access of your e-mail when you are at a different computer can be complex. |
IMAP e-mail, in contrast, is designed to permit interactive access to multiple mailboxes from multiple client machines. You manage your e-mail on the mail server over the network. You read your e-mail over the network from your desktop, but the e-mail is not stored on your desktop machine - rather, it is permanently stored and managed on the server.
| Benefits of IMAP | Drawbacks of IMAP |
|---|---|
|
You can access all of your new and stored e-mail from any machine connected to a network.
Because all employee e-mail is stored on the server, backup of e-mail is easily accomplished. |
If you are not connected to a network, new and stored e-mail messages are not available to you. |
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| Chapter 7.2. Configuring the Computers on Your Network | Table of Contents | Chapter 7.4. Configuring Your E-mail Application |