email appliance

email appliance

(1) A stand-alone mail server that plugs into the network to provide email for an organization. Typically rack-mounted hardware, the device includes software that provides the message store and transfer agent (see mail server and messaging system). Users access their mail with a client program in their computers or via a Web browser. See server appliance and email interfaces.

(2) A device specialized for accessing email that was introduced around the turn of the century. Today's email appliances are typically smartphones. See Internet appliance and Internet server appliance.

Email Appliance
One of the first email appliances, this seven-ounce, pocket-sized Postbox Express had a built-in analog modem that plugged into a standard telephone jack. (Image courtesy of VTech Holdings Ltd., www.vtech.com)