If POP is 3 and IMAP is 4, does that make Microsoft Exchange a High 5?
October 19th, 2009
By Anthony Naimo
Today, an increasing number of people are accessing the web and email via their cell or smart phones not only to maintain constant contact with their friends, family and colleagues, but also to minimize downtime and remain productive and efficient within the workplace, outside of the workplace and throughout their daily lives.
It is well known that email has quickly become the most commonly used form of communication for business and personal usage, leading to a search for new and effective ways to retrieve it. The continuous advances in cell and smart phone technology have helped us progress in the development of business and productivity. Naturally, with such advances, the way we access the information we need changes.
Most everyday users accessing their email via their cell or smart phone, will usually access their web-based email applications via a webpage such as Hotmail, Gmail or Yahoo Mail. These email applications are known to utilize a standard known as Post Office Protocol (POP3) which retrieves the users email from a remote server. Bear in mind, however, that POP3 technology is not exclusive to the aforementioned web-based email applications as it can be used with tools such as Outlook Express.
POP3 essentially supports users who have a temporary connection to the Internet. That is, they connect to retrieve their awaiting email and store them on their device as a new message, which in turn deletes them from the server and then disconnects them. The
Alongside POP3 technology, it is common to access email via Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP4). IMAP4 has the ability to support both online (connected) and offline (disconnected) operation, allowing the user to keep their emails synchronized on multiple clients until they purposely delete them. It is common for organizations who give employees remote access to their work email inboxes to utilize IMAP4 technology.
Both POP3 and IMAP4 are today’s widespread standard for email retrieval on the Internet and as such, modern email clients and mail servers are fully capable of supporting both of these protocols.
Webmail providers such as mail2web.com, offer POP3 and IMAP4 webmail services, enabling users to access their email from anywhere in the world whether it is Toronto, Beijing or London and allowing those who need to be in contact to remain so.
While both POP3 and IMAP4 protocols are effective and useful, the possibility of accessing your email and being alerted to new items requiring your attention, known as ‘Push Email’, is a reality that astute cell users are already using on their iPhones, Blackberries and other smart phones. Push Email can be achieved with a Microsoft Exchange based mailbox.
Essentially, an Exchange server aims to ensure that you remain in contact and in sync with others within your organization in a safe and secure environment, leaving you and your organization less vulnerable to malicious attacks from external sources.
Push Email allows your connection to be ‘always on’. As one great way businesses can improve in communication, the use of Microsoft Exchange through a Hosted Exchange provider offers the user a rich and efficient way access to your email, contacts, calendar and much more within the palm of your hand.
The real advantage of using Push Email through Exchange is that it can alert you, the user, immediately when a new email, task or calendar item arrives for you. The server will ‘push’ the item to you and in turn your cell or smartphone will notify you that you have a new item that requires an action.
Microsoft Exchange can turn your cell or smart phone into a virtual office, allowing you to access your data from anywhere in the world. Much like a POP3 or IMAP4 webmail service, yet it also makes email, document and contact management simpler and stress free. Its built-in collaboration functionality lets you share vital documents, tasks and calendar dates with your colleagues as well as with friends and family.
A Microsoft Exchange server puts you in control of your communications in a more direct and effective manner, literally putting communication in your hand. Push email, together with a Hosted Exchange mailbox allows you to stay in touch, be connected and productive in your downtime – whether it is riding the train to work or waiting for your flight at the airport or in line at the supermarket, Exchange enables you to access your email where you want it, when you want it.
In the long term, such increased efficiency and productivity leads to financial savings and greater return on investment. As such it can be tremendous for individuals and businesses of any size while personally allowing you more free time to be doing the things you would rather be doing.
Moreover, for businesses, another major advantage of implementing a Hosted Exchange solution is acquiring all of the functionality of the feature rich Microsoft Exchange environment without the uncertainties or problems commonly associated with having to maintaining your own servers and in-house infrastructure.
Web hosting organizations such as myhosting.com, can effectively help implement a Hosted Exchange email service to assist in increasing productivity and help provide the ability for organizations to maintain a focus on their core business.
By implementing a web hosting service like myhosting.com, it eliminates the stress associated with in-house set up, and helps to maintain costs within a set budget. As email continues to grow and develop into the most widespread form of communication, the demand for better usage, increased productivity and improved communication will continue by individuals and businesses alike.
By implementing such an effective tool today, you will leap to the forefront of being an effective, techno-savvy communicator all by simply having the world in your hand. How great is that?
Related posts:
- IMAP, POP3, SMTP… What are those?
- Microsoft Exchange: the power behind Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Exchange support arrives for T-Mobile G1
- POP vs IMAP: The difference? Anyone?
- Microsoft Exchange & the Great Smartphone Boom
Categories: Collaboration Tools, Devices & Mobility, Microsoft Exchange, mail2web.com ~ ~ Trackback
October 26th, 2009 at 9:09 am
It is essential that your email hosting service gives you access to your emails regardless of how you want to access them. Synchronisation is essential as you don’t want to waste valuable time reading emails you have already dealt with!
February 5th, 2010 at 10:56 am
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