Northwest SysAdmin

A question came in from a customer the other day to ask if the e-mail servers we provide (blatant plug if you didn’t setup e-mail hosting yet: Northwest SysAdmin) can be setup with an iPhone to provide a constant e-mail source – and the answer is yes… We actually have a specific type of e-mail server called an IMAP server. An IMAP server is one that allows computers to update the status of e-mails and have that carried across to other clients. If you read an e-mail on your iPhone and check e-mail from home later – that e-mail is marked as read there as well. Deleted e-mails or SPAM can be processed on one computer and when your phone checks the account – the processed e-mail is carried over!

We have an e-mail setup similar in office: SPAM processing, different phones accessing an account, etc. The processing happens back on the servers, all the other connections reap the benefits. My phone just checks my account, it doesn’t need to do SPAM processing, flag important e-mails, process meeting schedules – it just gets the mail.

IMAP servers are setup on your computers much the same way a regular e-mail account is. One of the tricks is to designate one computer to be the primary client – this one will handle the chores of the account; flagging messages, automatic forwarding, trashing those SPAM. With our hosting that part is easy – our servers can take care of SPAM processing with several choices of processors (we recommend the Spam Assassin hookup).

Here’s a picture of where to start your mail configuration:

Click on the email accounts icon, that will take you into your e-mail addresses and their setup.

On the next screen, choose the account you’d like to configure (if you have multiple) and click on the “Configure Mail Client” icon shown here:

Here’s the easy part – we have auto-configure setup for Outlook, Outlook Express and Mac E-Mail clients – any other client just cut and paste the server information on the page.

We’ll post an update on how to hook into Spam Assassin and have it get rid of the SPAM.

If anyone has any questions on the setup – e-mail us – we can pick up our mail anywhere!