E-mail, also called electronic mail, is a software program that allows users on a network to share messages, files, graphs, and other useful information. In its simplest form, e-mail is a way to pass information electronically, without printing and sending through the post office. When used to it's fullest, it can provide a reliable means of communication without the time and format constraints of the US Postal Service, delivery services or the telephone.

E-mail is one of the most widely used applications on a local area network (LAN). When it was first introduced, like most technologies, you had to have the same software, hardware and special setup done to communicate electronically. There are many products on the market from which to choose and standards are being developed that will make it easier to talk across different systems. These standards are rapidly reaching the point where any computer user with a modem or LAN connection can communicate with any other user. The movie "Disclosure" did an excellent job of showing what technology can offer you. The movie showed Michael Douglas receiving e- mail and other valuable information right at his desktop station. (I know, a computer geek goes to the movies, but I was fascinated that Hollywood did such a good job with the available technology.)

What is Internet E-mail?

What was shown in the movie, wasn't just an office where e-mail allowed you to talk with someone in the next cubicle or on the next floor, it had connections that allowed a college student to communicate with a corporation, a company in the Far East to communicate with a company in the US and a wife to communicate her evening plans to her husband. Michael Douglas received all these messages at his desk, at his convenience along with attachments full of business graphs, formulas, and other data.

The key to this type of communication is Internet E-mail. Internet E-mail provides the ability to go beyond the cabling boundaries of your existing local area network and send messages around the globe. This system requires some sort of connection to the Internet (available from a third- party service provider) and some additional software and setup beyond the basic E-mail system.

Why Should I Use E-mail?

If your looking at what e-mail can do and saying, well I could accomplish all this without an e- mail system, you're right. You could use the telephone, if you didn't mind playing phone tag, and you didn't want to "show" anything. If you wanted to "show something" you could fax documentation, if you don't mind the quality of the output. But what if you wanted to save the other person from reentering the information you were sending? You would then use a mail service such as Federal Express, or the good old USPS. This means that you have to confirm to the carriers deadlines and schedules to get your information delivered at a time convenient to them, not you or your recipient. If none of these "inconveniences" pose a problem, then you don't need e-mail . . . today.

The following quote is from the Da Vinci eMAIL Users Guide . . . "The communications methods that worked twenty years ago become a serious bottleneck in the computerized office. The day-to-day operations of the modern workplace require a constant flow of brief office memos, lengthy policy discussions, and all kinds of computer files. The phone and the post office were not designed to shoulder the entire burden of this continual stream of information. Without an intelligent system for managing this type of networking, the typical worker can spend as much time organizing and relaying information as working with it. The need for . . . (an) E-mail... system is clear."

What does E-mail cost?

The cost of an E-mail system, like any technology, depends on what features you want and from where you are starting. If you want the "Disclosure" scenario, you need to have a network in your organization, an in-house e-mail package (we've shown pricing using the Da Vinci package), access to the Internet, and an additional software package that allows your messages to be delivered to your desk without having to dial-out and see if there are messages. In the box to the right I have outlined the costs that an existing 10 user office with a Novell network would incur to have this type of system.

If you have a computer, and just want to get e-mail across the Internet, all you need are a modem (US Robotics 14.4 bps $150 or 28.8 bps $330), a phone line that is not connected to your phone system (a dedicated line similar to the type used for fax machines) and a popular service such as CompuServe, America On-line or Prodigy (approximately $20 per month for the service and then a per message fee). These services cost you a monthly fee and allow you to send or receive messages around the globe. This type of setup will allow your organization to have an e-mail address, have various staff members access the information one at a time and distribute it to the appropriate person. You can also get full Internet access and "surf the net" from your station for as little as $15 per month. This will give you access to forums, research and all the other internet goodies as well as e-mail.

What is the benefit to associations?

Like any modern business office, an association staff can benefit greatly from an E-mail system. Management and staff can quickly dispatch important items to one another where they can be addressed, prioritized and delegated as necessary. Though more difficult and expensive to setup and administer, the potential benefit of an Internet E-mail connection to member-services for any association should be clearly evident. Imagine being able to send and receive messages from your membership throughout the business day! If the hot topic for your association in the 90's is "enhanced member services", then Internet E-mail is something you should consider.

- Jaculin Thompson