The short answer is that the MV Mailbox Server is a system which handles most of the functions customers use when it comes to the delivery and collection of email.

This includes:

Incoming SMTP
	SMTP or Simple Mail Tranport Protocol will receive both local and remote messages being sent to MV users. The email will be delivered to the appropriate mailbox and stored for the user to retrieve.
Outgoing SMTP
	Outgoing SMTP is similar to Incoming except it accepts email from the user's email client (like Outlook Express, Netscape Messenger, and others) and starts the delivery process. Often this will mean that the Mailbox Server will need to contact another SMTP server to hand the message off, in the case of one MV user sending to another it will simply place that message in the appropriate mailbox for the user to retrieve.
IMAP Access
	Internet Message Access Protocol allows users to retrieve the messages on the Mailbox Server but leaves the messages on the server itself. This alternative to POP provides many functions to users that are not available through standard POP mail clients. For information on setting up your computer for IMAP, click Here. Where messages are stored on the server, IMAP has a distinct advatage over that of POP. Using IMAP you can manage your email from multiple computers without the need for duplicating messages, likewise you can create folders to store your messages right on the Mailbox Server. More information on IMAP is available from www.imap.org.
POP3 Downloading
	Post Office Protocol version 3 is a method of retrieving messages from the MV Mailbox Server and downloading them to the user's local machine. For help setting up your machine for POP refer to the Email Help section of home.mv.net.