Electronic Mail

Electronic Mail (E-Mail) is probably the most frequently used service provided by the TCP/IP suite. For many, E-Mail is the primary method of communicating messages, sending documents, or arranging for meetings and appointments with others often continents apart. In context of E-Mail, the term Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is often heard. It defines how the mail messages are formatted and the mechanism by which mail is forwarded and delivered on the Internet from mail-host to mail-host. The Internet contains a large number of these mail-hosts whose sole responsibility it is to store and forward the users' mail messages to the destination mail-host. Note that a large number of E-Mail software packages, such as WordPerfect Office, do not adhere to this standard, and special software is required to connect them to the Internet.

E-Mail users are identified by their mailbox name and the host on which this mailbox is located. Note that this name can be totally independent from the Internet name associated with that machine.

Once you have a network connected in your office or institution one of the most common applications is Electronic Mail. Electronic mail can be compared to sending memos or sending letters, except that because it is done electronically it is a lot faster.

Email can be send to people nearby (in your office, or university) or if you are connected to the Internet, it can be send to anywhere in the world.

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