CDO & MAPI Programming with Visual Basic:

Chapter 1. Introduction

Messaging is the transmission of information using electronic means. The information transmitted can be anything: email, documents, images, meeting requests, music, purchase orders, faxes, etc., etc., etc. Anything that can be represented in digital form can be the content of a message. Usually, messaging uses store-and-forward technology. That means that the sender and receiver of a message don’t need to be in direct contact with each other. The sender first gives the message to a messaging server. The server stores the message until it is able to forward it either to the intended recipient or to another server that will forward it to the recipient. That’s the kind of messaging described in this book.

Messaging technology is used for more than just passing messages from one user to another asynchronously. There are natural extensions to this technology that support new ways of communicating and sharing information. For example, you’re familiar with the concept of the discussion list—a use of messaging that enables groups of users to discuss topics of interest in public forums. In addition, message stores can be thought of as databases, providing a central place to store data that is not forwarded but waits for users to come view it. This is the concept behind Microsoft Exchange Server’s public folders. Messaging technology is being used in new and unique ways to manage personal information of all kinds, including schedules, tasks, and contacts. By the ...