Email client
A mail client (alternatively known as email client, or e-mail client; more formally known as mail user agent or MUA; hereinafter, the Client) is any digital construct that an end-user utilizes to compose, access, and/or manage his or her emails.
On the one side, the Clients receive requests from and show the data to end-users. On the other side, the Clients communicate with mail servers in order to receive emails from and/or send emails to.
The Client can also refer to mail client software. More broadly, email software may refer to all the software utilized for the Clients, mail servers, or mail exchangers.
Locations
There are two major models of locating the Clients:
- On-premises: end-users may install the Clients on their devices; a common example would be an app running on one's cell phone. The POP3 protocol is commonly used for sending one's emails to and/or receiving from mail servers.
- Online: end-users may access the Clients that are hosted online, often, next to a mail server. The IMAP protocol is commonly used for accessing and/or managing one's emails online.
