Trouble Managing your Email?

One of the most common questions we get about email is how to set it up so that a user can view their email at work AND at home...and actually, on their phone too if possible :-) .

Messages appear on one device and not the other, and keeping track of which have been read is difficult. The solution requires knowing how the user intends to use their email, and a little education in the 4 basic methods of connecting to your email server.

POP (Post Office Protocol)

The most common email protocol. By default it connects to your email server, downloads all the messages to your computer, and then deletes them from the server. This is usually the cause of email appearing on one device and not another. This deletion can be disabled, but your mailbox may fill up and stop receiving new email. Instead, make a plan for one of your devices to delete messages only after a certain number of days, ensuring that all devices have a chance to download them.

IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol)

IMAP avoids the deleting problem by NEVER automatically deleting your email and keeping a perfect copy on the server, including email folders. This copy is then synchronized with all your devices. This means that if you read or delete an email from your phone, it will be marked as read or deleted on your computer. And if you make a new folder on your computer and file 20 emails in it, that folder and the emails within it will appear on your phone. The issues with this approach are that not all email providers allow this kind of connection, they need to provide enough storage space for ALL your email, and checking email is slower, especially if you have a large number of folders and email messages.

WebMail

Many users avoid the above two options by simply accessing their email via a WebMail interface. Hotmail and GMail are two examples that many people think of in reference to WebMail, but Shaw and Telus also provide WebMail options. The advantages of this method are that you can access your email from any computer, and there is no email software to setup. The downside is that your phone will still need POP or IMAP access, so you can't avoid dealing with those issues.

Microsoft Exchange

The most robust email system is Microsoft Exchange, and it is primarily seen in a business environment. It pretty much takes care of all the issues previously mentioned, while also synchronizing your folders, contact lists, and calendars. It also allows you to share email, contacts, and calendar entries with co-workers, and provides an excellent WebMail interface. It is a more expensive option, but provides the most functionality in a business environment.