Use a host for your business POP3 email

If you have a website, check with your host for POP3 email information. Most hosts provide at least one email address for your business. If not, online hosting is an alternative to pricey enterprise email servers, and you don't have to worry about supporting or maintaining a server.

I recommend: Gmail has no preset user account limits and free or premium versions. Yahoo offers 1,000 business email accounts. Hostway has email hosting plans for 5, 15, or 50 users.

Host your own POP3 mail server

If you want an on-site server, a POP3 mail server is an inexpensive alternative to enterprise packages like Exchange. There are free open-source servers available, especially Unix- and Linux-based applications.

I recommend: Qpopper and Teapop are open-source POP3-servers that run on UNIX platforms. The SOHO Mail server and hMailServer are free e-mail servers for Microsoft Windows. Eudora has an Internet Mail Server that can be run on Macintosh systems.

Get a POP3 email client

Once you've set up your hosted or live server, your employees will need a way to get their email. Users can either download their email from the web or use a POP-3 client. When you use a client, your other post office protocols will need to be set up. The outgoing (SMTP) and POP3 settings, including the name or IP address of the servers, must be configured in the client mail properties.

I recommend: Outlook and Outlook Express are popular Windows email clients. LiveMail replaces Outlook Express in Windows Vista. Outlook, which includes advanced features like local folders and calendars, is part of Microsoft Office, and Express or LiveMail are included in the operating system. Mac users can use Microsoft Entourage or Apple Mail 3.0. There are many free add-ons for Apple Mail on the Apple website. Free downloadable mail client software includes Pegasus Mail and Eudora.