Our world has gradually transformed into one that is greatly dependant on the digital platform. Advancements in Information Technology has brought about major changes in the way we communicate with each other and hand written communiqué has given way to the digital format of Electronic Mail or Email, particularly where business correspondence is concerned. So, how does this Electronic Mail work? The central character in this process is the Email Server. This is like a virtual post office that manages all the Emails passing through it and receives them for the intended contact or sends them off to the required destination. There are various protocols that are used to facilitate the Email exchanging process. When an Email is sent, it uses standard SMTP. This Simple Mail Transfer Protocol forwards the mail to its correct location. This works in tandem with two other protocols that are used for receiving Emails. These are the Post Office Protocol or POP3 server and the Internet Mail Access Protocol or the IMAP server.

The process of sending and receiving Emails through the Mail Server is facilitated by the use of mail clients. These are programs that allow the user to type out an Email and connect to the server to send it across to the addressed person. The mail client also acts as a receiving agent for any Email communication addressed to the user. Some popular Email applications that are used nowadays are Outlook, Thunderbird, Eudora, Pegasus, Gmail, etc. An Email address acts as the unique identifier for a person and when sending or receiving mails, this is what determines where exactly the Email needs to reach. Once sent, the Email passes through the SMTP server, which resolves the Email ID and associated domain for the receiver and then forwards the mail accordingly. If there is an error in the address or a problem with the destination domain, then the server retries four times before rendering the transmission a failure and bouncing the Email back to the sender. If the address is resolved successfully then the SMTP server sends the mail to its address where it reaches the receiver through the POP3 or IMAP server configured at his end.

Email Server Solutions are offered by some companies free of cost, whereas there are paid options too, that offer better features and functionality and a more robust and secure server. These paid servers are mainly meant for business communications, where large amounts of confidential Emails and data are transferred every day. For business purposes, a custom server for Email communication can be set up at any specific location, as required by the company. This allows them to have complete control over the entire Electronic Mail communication system and it also cuts down on the likelihood of the server being compromised by the way of hacking or virus infections. The SecuraNET Mail Server is one such solution that offers its clients the power to be in command of the entire set up. Emails can be sent and received via the LAN or WAN besides the internet. The transmission of Emails is streamlined in a manner that the bandwidth usage is reduced and performance is improved. The SecuraNET system offers greater privacy and security options for the customer, which is greatly required in a business setup. The server is also capable of efficiently operating alongside applications such as the Microsoft Exchange, which allows it to share common contacts databases and authentication points for improved transmission of Emails.