Email Service

Overview

Email service is vital to any business. You can use your email service for marketing purposes and for internal company communications. You can even select an email service that allows you to send HTML mail, which is the same format that websites use. With some services, your employees can check their mail remotely from anywhere in the world.

Personal users can also benefit from an email service to stay in touch with friends and family. Email technology has evolved to include features for chat and blogs. Regardless of whether you are a business or personal user, you can find services that allow you to check email from a client like Microsoft Outlook or through webmail, which you can access through your Internet browser.

You can find webmail services for free through Yahoo or Gmail, or you can use email provided by your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

When selecting an email service, research features including storage space, security, and versatility. Businesses especially will need to keep their networks secure from hackers and viruses.

Benefits

Email is becoming more popular than regular mail. You can quickly and easily correspond with family, and you can message hundreds of people at once. You can communicate information instantly and even send pictures and documents through email attachments. Certain email services are very secure, so you can ensure that you are protected from viruses. You can forward your email to other email addresses, and you can even check your email with your phone. You can even find fully functional email services free of cost. You may need to pay for additional security features. For businesses, email is a great marketing tool since you can reach customers in a quick, efficient, and cost effective way.

How It Works

Using an email service to send and receive emails is quite easy. At the very least, you need an Internet connection. You don't even necessarily need a computer since many newer cell phones are enabled with email functionality.

Email systems run on two servers. The first is a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server, which is used to handle outgoing mail. Post Office Protocol (POP3) and Internet Mail Access Protocol (IMAP) server servers handle incoming email. You send an email through the SMTP server, which communicates with the recipient's domain through the Domain Name System (DNS). The Domain Name System connects to the recipient domain's Internet Protocol (IP) address. The recipient's POP3 server places the message in his or her inbox. You can also attach files, images, and documents to your email.

Companies/Brands

There are many email services that provide free and paid services. USA.NET, Mail.com, Gmail, and Yahoo provide a range of free and paid services for home and business users.