| usiness, regardless of its size, should have and | | | | One person may deal with all of the mail, or each |
| Internet email facility. An Internet address looks good | | | | category might be assigned to an individual. Filter rules |
| on your business card and, more importantly, it | | | | can also be applied to forward email to another email |
| ensures that you are accessible 24 hours a day | | | | address or to consign spam to the trash can. |
| anywhere in the world. | | | | Outlook Express supports multiple users, so two or |
| When it comes to email software, we are spoilt for | | | | more people can use the same PC, with each logging |
| choice. In fact, there’s so much of it around | | | | in separately to read their email. One person might |
| that it’s often hard to know where to start. | | | | login as ‘info’ to read email sent to , |
| Most web browsers include an email client and | | | | while another person could logon as |
| there’s a wide choice of third party clients. | | | | ‘sales’ for email addressed to If |
| As the choice of email software is so overwhelming, | | | | several people in the company decide to use the |
| you could easily end up buying a mail solution that far | | | | same copy of Outlook Express, messages can be |
| exceeds your needs and your technical skills. | | | | kept separate provided they each have their own |
| Over the past few years, Windows has been | | | | Windows login name and password. |
| enhanced with a variety of mail clients with varying | | | | Once you have established a regular communications |
| degrees of Internet support. At the same time, the | | | | network with a customer, you might decide that you |
| old directory based Microsoft Mail clients have been | | | | want to keep your email confidential. Outlook Express |
| phased out in favor of more Internet-oriented clients. | | | | supports secure MIME which is designed to send and |
| Windows 2000/XP installs Outlook Express by default. | | | | receive digitally signed and encrypted email. Digitally |
| Sure, it isn’t the finest email client around, but | | | | signed mail verifies the sender, which is a very |
| it is very capable and, more importantly, it is a good | | | | important precaution to take when, for example, |
| starting point for exploring Internet email. Outlook | | | | orders are placed over the Internet. |
| Express offers a good combination of email features | | | | Encryption codes the message so that it is |
| and is a fairly good tutor in matters relating to | | | | unreadable to all but the authorized recipient. In order |
| Internet mail, which means that when the time | | | | to use s/Mime, both parties need a digital certificate. |
| comes to move up you’ll be able to make a | | | | Outlook Express includes a facility that simplifies the |
| more informed choice. | | | | process of applying for a digital certificate. |
| Outlook Express is an add-on for Internet Explorer. In | | | | Outlook Express offers a number of features and |
| other words, Internet Explorer must be installed | | | | benefits that make it an attractive first email client |
| before Outlook Express can be used. The good news | | | | for novice Internet mail users. Most notable of these |
| though, is that you don’t have to use | | | | is its support for IMAP4, which enables incoming mail |
| Internet Explorer for browsing if you are already | | | | to be stored and managed on the ISP’s mail |
| using another web browser. | | | | server (provided that the ISP also supports IMAP4). |
| Getting Started | | | | IMAP4 allows you to read your email from any |
| Let’s assume you are part of a small | | | | computer with any email client which supports IMAP4. |
| company that, in the interests of reaching new | | | | This is particularly useful if you tend to move about a |
| customers and providing better services to its clients, | | | | lot. |
| has decided to setup Internet mail. The idea is to be | | | | Another useful feature is its ability to allow you to |
| able to setup several generic email addresses | | | | review your email before downloading it. In this way |
| – , , and – and then to publicize these | | | | if someone sends you a large file and you’re |
| in the company’s marketing material. | | | | checking your email from a frustratingly slow |
| A simple system like this can be setup at minimal | | | | connection away from the office, you can leave the |
| expense with a single dial-up account with an ISP, a | | | | file on the mail server until you get back to the |
| single PC with a modem or permanent Internet | | | | office. |
| connection, and a simple Internet email client such as | | | | Setting up Outlook Express is a simple process, |
| Outlook Express. All that’s really required of | | | | enhanced by the fact that it works with most ISPs |
| the email client software is the ability to filter | | | | that provide POP3 incoming mail and SMTP. Most ISPs |
| incoming email according to the recipient address. In | | | | starter kits include Internet Explorer and Outlook |
| this way, as email arrives for the respective | | | | Express, and will setup the basic email system |
| ‘info’, ‘sales’ or | | | | automatically. If they don’t, it’s easy |
| ‘support’ addresses, it is filtered into | | | | enough to do yourself. |
| separate inboxes according to the address. | | | | |