Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is the standard protocol for sending emails across the Internet. SMTP uses TCP port 25 or 2525 and sometimes you can have problems to send your messages in case your ISP has closed port 25. To determine the SMTP server for a given domain name, the MX (Mail eXchange) DNS record is used.
Email hosting is a very valuable resource these days, with the explosion in demand for email services and the huge number of people who send and receive email messages every day. Email hosting can be a very attractive option for companies, especially as a means of gaining new customers.
Email hosting services are mostly utilised by small to medium business enterprises that rely on custom email addresses that match the name of their company website domain. They allow users to create a variety of email types that utilise the same trailing address. Advantages of using Business Email Hosting:
* Never change your email address again, even if you change internet access providers
* Better promote and brand your business with a you@yourbusiness.com address
With premium email hosting services mail can be accessed through a variety of methods such as POP3, IMAP, SMTP on an email client such as Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express or Mozilla Thunderbird, through webmail or from a mobile phone, Blackberry or smartphone. You can also usually manage your calendar and collaborate with workmates using Outlook just as you would were your email server managed inhouse.
One important consideration when outsourcing your email hosting to a third-party provider is the level of spam filtering and virus protection on offer and this is worth checking out before you buy. Failsafe backup and switch over solutions are also something that should be provided with any enterprise level email hosting solution so that if one server goes down, a backup server kicks in and you can still send and recieve your emails seamlessly. There should also be backup power sources, dedicated engineers onhand and good physical security.
If you are replacing an in house server, outsourced email hosting savings can be substantial. On the other hand, if you've had free email through a web host and are now looking for improved email, you might be experiencing sticker shock. Can your business justify spending a few dollars per user each month? As email increases in popularity, its role as a communication tool in your business should validate the cost. In the end, it may be a small price to pay in exchange for dependable email service.