IMAP is the child of Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3), the Internet's ubiquitous mail reading protocol. While POP3 essentially dumps mail from a mail server to a PC, IMAP is designed as a cooperative client/server protocol.
IMAP servers allow users to sort mail into folders, read from multiple locations, and store some or all mail on the server or local hard drive.
Additionally, IMAP offers disconnected operation, encrypted communications and high-security authentication.
An important part of IMAP's popularity is the wide availability of clients for every conceivable platform, including Unix and OpenVMS command line, OS/2, Java, NeXT, Amiga, Atari, Windows CE, Palm Pilot, Newton, Acorn/RISCOS, and even the Nokia 9000 cell phone.
We looked at five clients that we thought would appeal to corporate users: Microsoft Outlook Express, Netscape Messenger, Cyrusoft's Mulberry, Qualcomm's Eudora Pro and the University of Washington's Pine. All functioned surprisingly well with the many servers we looked at.
Graphical user interface is largely a matter of personal preference, which is why IMAP is such an excellent choice for distributed organizations. Users can pick and choose what works best for them. Because Lotus Notes, Microsoft Outlook 98, and Netscape Communicator all handle IMAP in their latest versions, savvy e-mail managers can avoid the religious wars often associated with picking a new application.
Our favorite client was Mulberry. Even in a test lab with constantly changing servers and identities, Mulberry never got confused. Mulberry delivered the best user interface and kept on running when others gave up.
Pick your own client carefully, but be assured that even if you make a mistake, you'll find lots of alternatives available.
RELATED LINKS
Cyrusoft site
Download a demo version.
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