Internet Message Access Protocol
Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) is one of the two most prevalent Internet standard protocols for e-mail retrieval. The other protocols used in emails is POP(post office protocol). modern e-mail clients and mail servers support both protocols .
History:
IMAP was designed by Mark Crispin in 1986 as a remote mailbox protocol. The original Interim Mail Access Protocol was implemented as a Xerox Lisp machine client
Advantages over POP
-Multiple clients simultaneously connected to the same mailbox:
This protocol allows allows simultaneous access by multiple clients unlike the POP.
-Connected and disconnected modes of operation:
clients often stay connected as long as the user interface is active and download message content on demand
-Access to MIME message parts and partial fetch:
protocol allows clients to separately retrieve any of the individual MIME parts and also to retrieve portions of it.
-Multiple mailboxes on the server:
The clients can create, rename, and/or delete mailboxes .
-Message state information:
clients can keep track of message state through the use of flags defined in the IMAP4.
for more details:
http://en.wikipediawiki/Internet_Message...s_Protocol
also:
http://download.microsoftdownload/5/D/D/...AP4%5D.pdf