Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Ripples in the Pond
Moving beyond the simple issues of cost and features within the e-mail
service itself, selecting an e-mail platform will also affect the type of direc-
tory service that can be used for log-on authentication, which in turn will
affect the choices available for user log-on and identification as well as
options for accessible interfaces, encryption, and other extended require-
ments for connectivity within the enterprise.
Services
The selected platform may need to be interoperable with other e-mail-
enabled applications, in which case the code base and authentication sys-
tems must be able to integrate with the new selection or applications may
need to be rewritten or abandoned. Network fax and voice mail systems
may be integrated with the e-mail service to deliver other content into
users' inboxes, while instant messaging and chat functions may provide
online awareness and synchronous communication integration with the
asynchronous e-mail that is the heart of this selection.
Some e-mail services may provide options for proxy relay systems in
remote offices that are not always connected to the business network;
others may provide a feature-rich Web-based client that allows users to
access e-mail through the Internet. Push-type mobile e-mail technologies
such as Research In Motion's Blackberry and Microsoft's Smart Phone
allow users to avoid the need to log-on to access e-mail—each item is
sent directly to the user's device when received. Selection of a particular
platform may affect how users access e-mail on local and remote worksta-
tions, mobile computing devices, and newer technologies such as data-
enabled telephones.
Business
As e-mail becomes one of many types of communication that users
require, organizations are beginning to blend together asynchronous and
synchronous means into a common one-stop location—often referred to
as a portal. Here, users may receive targeted news, engage in threaded
discussions, share documents, manage schedules, read e-mail, chat with
