COPOL AND ELECTRONIC MAIL
| Published date | 01 April 1985 |
| Date | 01 April 1985 |
| Pages | 43-45 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb040340 |
| Author | Roy Adams |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management |
43
COPOL AND ELECTRONIC MAIL, by Roy Adams*
Background to services available
Although it has been around for many years electronic mail (e-mail) has
grown in public awareness over the last few months to a point where one
could get the impression that the whole business world is spending its time
sending messages to itself. A number of factors have combined to create
this heightened awareness.
The costs of e-mail have fallen to a point where they can directly compete
with the postal services on price and beat them in speed. Many more
potential users have microcomputers with communications facilities on their
desks or nearby. Added services are rapidly being introduced to enhance
the basic mail system, by replacing some existing techniques and enhancing
others.
Competition has grown, generally improving services and supressing
prices as new utilities enter the market. Finally e-mail may now have
crossed the growth barrier where nobody joins because there is nobody else
to transmit to.
Electronic mail has been possible within systems for a number of years
including large networks such as the U.S. defence system's ARPANET which
has operated since the early 1970's. The spread of microcomputers and the
opening up of large, public wide area networks has enabled a variety of
hosts to offer mail facilities on a scale and variety of equipment that
attracts the small end user. The public services have removed the
technical barriers which make direct contact between different types of
terminal complex and time consuming.
There are seven companies prominent in the field offering variations on the
theme.
- B.T. Gold a British Telecom subsidiary
- Microlink from Database Publications
- One to One a subsidiary of Pacific Telesis
- Monodata from British Monomarks
- Comet from Istel
- Quick-Com from General Electric
- Easy-Link from Cable and Wireless
The services differ in both the features offered and in tariffs. Quick-Corn
for example has a charging structure designed to attract large corporate
users while Microlink is a front end to B.T. Gold designed for small scale
users with low levels of access using microcomputers.
Each system offers a basic electronic mail box service designed around a
central computer or computers. The main differences between them are the
additional services provided which may include: conferencing facilities;
the ability to broadcast to a number of users; links to the Telex network;
database compilation, word processing and other electronic office
* Roy Adams is Sub-Librarian, Technical Services, Leicester Polytechnic.
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