PostMaster

The PostMaster is an e-mail messaging software for

sharing any POP3 e-mail account among multiple users. It can also act as a message

downloader for multiple POP3 accounts. It’s Java based, and available for any OS that

supports the Java Virtual Machine. We reviewed the Windows version.

The main advantage we found with this

software was its flexibility: as long as you have a POP3 e-mail account–paid or

free–the software will let you share it among multiple users. So you could have an

e-mail account from VSNL, from your company’s dedicated mail server, or even a free

POP3 account. The software can work using an Internet gateway on a LAN, regardless of the

type of connection (dial-up, leased line, or ISDN).

The PostMaster needs at least a Pentium 166

with 32 MB RAM, which is connected to a LAN. It can be installed on Win 9x or NT and

supports any SMTP and POP3 compliant e-mail client such as Outlook, Netscape Mail, Eudora,

etc. When e-mail is to be sent, the e-mail client contacts the SMTP server built into

PostMaster, which accepts the mail. The mail for a local user on the LAN is instantly

delivered into that user’s mailbox. But in case it’s to be sent over the

Internet it’s queued in the PostMaster’s Outbox.

If users have a domain name registered, for

example, abc.com then PostMaster can download all the mail sent to the default e-mail

address of the domain name, and then sort the mail on the basis of the name tag prefixed

to the domain name. A default e-mail ID is an account to which all mail with unrecognized

users is sent. For example, if the default e-mail ID on abc.com is default@abc.com, then

all unrecognized e-mail coming to this domain will be transferred to this account.

PostMaster downloads all mail from this account, and sorts it based on the header

information.

In case, you don’t have a domain name

registered or are not using the default account on a registered domain, PostMaster sorts

mail on the basis of the real-name tag that needs to be prefixed to the e-mail address.

For example, ABC Corp has an e-mail account abc@del3. vsnl.net.in. A and B are two

employees of this organization with individual accounts created in

PostMaster. E-mail for

user A can be directed to "A" and for user B to

"B". When e-mail is sent out PostMaster ensures

that the sender’s e-mail address is specified.

To download mail from multiple POP

accounts, just specify the account settings, and PostMaster automatically downloads mail

for you. Thus if you have multiple POP accounts, you don’t have to bother about

downloading mail from each. PostMaster will download from all and forward it to your local

account.

Other useful features include: mail

logging, archiving all out-bound mail, message summary recording, limitation of mail size,

auto-delete of mail from the ISP’s server after downloads, auto-response, etc. There

is an in-built scheduler that lets PostMaster connect to the local ISP and up/download

mail at specified times.

All in all, PostMaster is a nifty little

package with easy-to-use GUI controls that provides a cost-effective solution for

organizations that cannot afford other options.