Just as Catalog Service Access Modules provide access to external catalog
services, Mail Service Access Modules provide access to messaging services.
With the appropriate Mail Service Access Module, a PowerTalk user will be
able to exchange messages with users on a variety of platforms and message
delivery systems. Mail Service Access Modules will be provided by third
parties.
At the time PowerTalk ships, some of the Mail Service Access Modules that
will be available are: SMTP, Microsoft Mail, FAX, voice mail, QuickMail,
and pager. This is partial list with many other MSAMs under development
and available shortly after product ship.
There are two different types of Mail Service Access Modules: personal and
server-based. A personal Mail Service Access Module resides on the local
user's workstation. A server-based Mail Service Access Module resides on a
PowerShare Mail Server. Letters sent through the server-based Mail Service
Access Module are sent first to the PowerShare server and then out through
the Mail Service Access Module.
This is a different situation from Catalog Service Access Modules where
Catalog Service Access Modules could reside only on the local workstation.